On Monday, the 7th of August, a large delegation of Tigra Mahapanchayat submitted a memorandum to Gurugram Deputy Commissioner (DC) Nishant Kumar Yadav and Police Commissioner claiming that the youths arrested in the alleged Gurugram Sector 57 attack are innocent. The members of the Mahapanchayat also demanded their immediate release asserting that they have been falsely implicated in this case. There was violence in Gurugram after Hindus came under attack by Nuh and Islamists unleashed violence against the Jalabhishek yatra in Mewat.
The Mahapanchayat has given the district administration an ultimatum of 7 days to release the Hindu youths arrested by the Gurugram police and warned that if the youths, who are innocent according to them, are not released, a ‘major decision’ will be taken.
A day earlier, on 6 August, a Mahapanchayat was organised in Haryana’s Tigra village to protest against the arrests of four youths from the Hindu community in connection with the alleged Gurugram Sector 57 attack on the intervening night of 31st July and 1st August.
People from many adjoining villages took part in the Mahapanchayat and demanded a fair investigation into the whole matter. Subsequently, a committee of 101 members was formed to monitor the developments closely. Today, these same members have submitted a memorandum to the DC and Police Commissioner seeking the immediate release of the innocent Hindu youths.
During the gathering, the panchayat also called for the removal of the Anjuman mosque in Gurgaon’s Sector 57, citing its location in a predominantly Hindu area.
Mahesh Dayma, the outgoing councillor of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram stated that a memorandum regarding the release of these innocent Hindu youths will also be given to all MLAs and ministers.
After getting the memorandum, Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav assured the delegation that no innocent person would be arrested. Along with this, he also said that strict action will be taken against whoever is guilty.
Claiming that things have become normal in Gurugram, the Deputy Commissioner appealed to the people not to get involved in any kind of rumours and to maintain the peace.
The case pertains to an alleged attack on an under-construction, disputed mosque in Sushant Lok Phase-III in Sector 57 of Gurugram. Identified as the Anjuman Imam Masjid, it was allegedly burnt by a group of 70-80 people. During the incident, the imam of the ‘mosque’ was allegedly killed while another person was injured. They were later rushed to the hospital. Subsequently, the police arrested four individuals in connection with the case.
However, it was later found out that the so-called Anjuman Masjid was a disputed structure. The disputed structure is reportedly built on ‘government-allocated land’ in the New Gurugram area. Its construction was stopped by the courts on several occasions.
According to the Sushant Lok Extension Residents Welfare Association, the land was originally earmarked for the construction of a police station as per the demand of the local residents. Whereas, the Chairman of the Haryana Anjuman Charitable Trust, Aslam Khan, claimed that the Om Prakash Chautala-led-Haryana government allocated the land for the ‘mosque’ in 2002.
Over the years, several petitions, including Public Interest Litigations (PILs) were filed to stop the construction of the ‘mosque’, including one by the Malibu Towne Residents Welfare Association and a resident of Malibu Towne named Mukesh Bhanont.
Nuh Jalabhishek Yatra Attack
On 31st July, violence broke out in Haryana’s Nuh district during the ‘Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra,’ which was organized by Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal. The death toll from the clashes has now reached 6, including two personnel from the Haryana home guard. The deputy commissioner urged people to stay indoors, venture outside only for essential tasks, and disregard any circulating rumours.
Vehicles were burnt and stones pelted at the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Jalabhishek Yatra as Islamists unleashed violence against thousands of Hindus in the Muslim-dominated region of Nuh, Mewat in Haryana.
