Haryana has been placed on high alert, with strong security in place, after the Sarv Jatiya Hindu Mahapanchayat called for a ‘Shobha Yatra’ in Nuh district on Monday, despite chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s refusal to allow the march. This comes after communal skirmishes in the district earlier this month.
The district administration issued Section 144, urging the people to refrain from moving in Nuh. According to Nuh sub-divisional magistrate Ashwini Kumar, all educational facilities, including schools and colleges, and banks in the district would stay closed.
Top Nuh Shobha Yatra news:
- On August 13, the Sarv Jatiya Hindu Mahapanchayat asked for the resumption of the Brij Mandal Shobha Yatra in Nuh on August 28, which had been halted due to unrest in the area in July. However, Manohar Lal Khattar refused to grant permission for the yatra to be carried out in order to maintain law and order. The chief minister stated at an event in Panchkula on Sunday, “Since there was a law and order situation throughout the yatra last month, and now it is the duty of the government to maintain law and order, that is why permission to carry out this yatra was not given.”
- Despite being denied permission, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) said on Sunday that the Braj Mandal Shoba Yatra will be held peacefully. According to VHP leader Alok Kumar, “no issues of law and order would arise.”
- The VHP leader told the news agency ANI, “We know the G20 is going to start, so we will shorten the yatra.” But we will not abandon it and will finish it tomorrow. I will also participate. The government’s role is to ensure law and order so that individuals can have religious gatherings in peace and safety.
- According to a police official in Nuh, 1,900 Haryana Police officers and 24 paramilitary companies have been deployed. All entrance points into the district have been shut, as has the road leading to the Malhar shrine. However, traffic on the KMP Motorway and the Delhi-Mumbai Motorway would be unaffected.
- From August 26 to August 28, the state government has halted mobile internet services.
- In preparation for the yatra, Nuh Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarniya and Deputy Commissioner Dhirendra Khadgata met with peace committees on Saturday. In addition, Police Chief Kapur presided over a conference with top officials from neighboring states – Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh – and asked for coordinated measures to deal with any growing scenario.
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On July 31, communal violence erupted in Nuh district when a VHP religious procession was stoned and vandalized, and private and police cars were set on fire. The conflicts killed six individuals, including two houseguards and a clergyman. The rioting rapidly expanded to Gurugram, where there have been isolated acts of violence.
According to accounts, the fights erupted after Bajrang Dal leader Monu Manesar, a cow vigilante suspected of killing two Muslim men, and his colleagues disseminated an offensive video a few days before the march and were meant to join it.
