Two Home Guards were killed, over 200 people were injured and dozens of vehicles were torched as communal violence engulfed Haryana’s Nuh on Monday after clashes erupted between Hindu and Muslim groups during a religious procession by the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad, said police.
The administration issued prohibitory orders in Nuh and Gurugram districts, and snapped mobile internet services across Nuh, though tensions simmered well into the evening. Additional forces were parachuted in, while chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar urged residents to refrain from violence.
The Gurugram administration separately said schools across the district will be shut on Tuesday.
At least 20 people were detained till 11pm in connection with the violence.
According to police officers, the violence began 10 minutes after the procession, of around 200 people, began to walk from Edward Chowk in Nuh town around 2pm. As the group walked down the mainroad, it was allegedly pelted with rocks bya large crowd. The Hindu side initially fled, but then allegedly regrouped and retaliated.
Sajjan Dalal, deputy superintendent of police (Hodal), was shot in the head and was in a critical condition, said a senior police officer.
“He is undergoing treatment at Medanta hospital with inspector Anil Kumar of Gurugram police who has also sustained a bullet injury in his abdomen,” he said.
The trigger for the violence, said one police officer, was a rumour that Bajrang Dal member and cow vigilante Monu Manesar, wanted for murdering two Muslim men in Haryana’s Bhiwani this February, would also be a part of the procession.
This, said the officer, was preceded by a video of Manesar that began circulating on social media on Sunday.
“In the video, he was heard announcing that he will reach Nuh to participate in the procession, while appealing others to take part in it on a large scale,” said the police officer cited above. “Nerves were fraught in the region after the video emerged,” said the officer, adding that wanted cow vigilante did not eventually turn up.
Manesar has been at large for months.
The group that pelted the rally with stones left a few minutes later, but soon regrouped and began setting afire cars parked along the road. At this point, the violence began to spread across Nuh and neighbouring Gurugram as news of the clashes spread.
About 2,500 men, women and children who had taken shelter at a Shiv temple in Nuh were evacuated by police, Haryana home minister Anil Vij said in Chandigarh.
Police officers said the people who attacked the procession also ransacked Nuh’s cyber police station and torched a police post at Edward Chowk, roughly 50km from Gurugram.
A senior Nuh district official said police fired several rounds of tear gas shells to disperse protesters.
“Police personnel also opened fire in the air. After reinforcement was received, orders were issued to charge batons on all those involved in the violence and stone pelting,” said the officer.
Reports of stone-pelting and violence were being received from some pockets till 6pm and forces were being mobilised accordingly.
Kamal Gupta, a devotee, said the temples were Hindus were taking shelter were attacked by Muslim groups.
“Devotees were dragged out of buses and cars and assaulted,” he said.
Nasir Ahmed, a resident of Punhana neighbourhood in Nuh, accused people in the procession of raising provocative slogans.
Iqbal Khan, a resident of Firozpur Jhirka, alleged that people in the procession first attacked passersby.
“Several people leaving a mosque retaliated and things went out of control,” he said.
Gurugram police chief Kala Ramachandran confirmed the deaths and urged people to keep from stoking tensions.
“No one should post any provocative or violence related posts on social media platforms that may damage the social harmony and peace in the society,” she said.
“Immediate and stern action will be taken against anyone found posting any item on social media that could create a law-and-order problem. People should also stay away from rumour mongering,” she added.
Khattar said the state would act against people responsible for the violence.
“Today’s incident is unfortunate, I appeal to all the people to maintain peace in the state. The guilty will not be spared at any cost, strictest action will be taken against them,” he tweeted.
Narender Bijrania, Bhiwani police chief, who has been given additional charge of Nuh on Monday said they detained several people and were questioning them in connection with the incident.
“We have identified many persons through videos and pictures circulated on social media platforms and will soon arrest them. The situation is now under control and people have been rescued safely,he said.
