While Islamists and their supporters had widely used social media platforms to mobile rioters, a report published by Hindustan Times sheds light on the extent the assailants went in the nefarious designs to attack Hindu processions in Haryana’s Muslim-majority region of Nuh.
As early as July 21, roughly ten days before the Jalabhishek Yatra was to take place, Islamists had been scheming to attack the devotees, laying elaborate plans on how to go about with their evil ploy.
Those arrested by the police over the violence that erupted in Nuh earlier this week have revealed in their interrogation that meetings were held and WhatsApp groups were created, and responsibilities were assigned to group leaders to collect stones and bottles to attack Hindu processions between July 21 to July 23, yet another corroboration of the preplanned nature of the violence that has engulfed the region since July 31.
Collecting stones and glass bottles was an easy task, the report quoted one of the local residents from Nuh who attended one such meeting as saying. Requesting anonymity for fear of retaliation from the rioters, the resident said local shops chiefly sold glass cold drink bottles, which made the task of arranging them easy. Additionally, the villagers in the region had been instructed beforehand to store stones for the purpose as well.
Another resident, who also requested to maintain anonymity, said that they had participated in arranging motorbikes to marshal the mob. He added that they had managed to gather over 200 bikes and took precautions by painting their registration plates with black paint to avoid police detection. Additionally, they managed to arrange around 3,000 glass bottles, with the majority intended to be used as projectiles. Some of the bottles were filled with petrol for more damaging effects. These prepared items were then distributed to different groups assigned to target the procession.
How the cover of ‘Monu Manesar attending the rally’ was used to perpetuate violence against Hindu procession
The report also highlighted how instigators rallied Islamists to attack the Hindu processions by fearmongering over Monu Manesar even though the police were yet to pinpoint his alleged role in the killing of Junaid and Nasir—who were abducted and subsequently killed on suspicion of cow smuggling.
Police officers from Haryana quoted in the Hindustan Times report have said that Monu Manesar has been on the run ever since the Rajasthan Police booked him in the abduction and murder of two Muslim cattle traders. His whereabouts, they claimed, were unknown and they were not aware of the location and time where he filmed the videos or the source from which he uploaded them.
The police officers hinted that Monu Manesar could have just been a scapegoat used by the rioters to rally the mob and indulge in violence against the participants of the procession. A senior officer from Haryana police said their numerous attempts to locate Monu Manesar at his residence or other potential hideouts have been in vain. The officer further stated that despite the challenges, their teams are persistently making efforts to track him down.
Mewat Shobha Yatra attack
On Monday, 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 5, 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 clashes erupted between two communities in the Muslim-majority region of Mewat in Haryana.
“Religious Brajmandal Yatra” organized annually by Bajrang Dal, Islamic Jihadis pelted heavy stones, violence, arson and direct bullets from the hills on the pilgrims on the ancient “Religious Yatra” of Nallahad Shiv Temple, the centre of faith and reverence of Hindus in Nuh, Mewat. In which hundreds of vehicles were damaged and burnt to ashes,” said a statement shared by Bajrang Dal on Twitter.
Earlier, VHP leaders had asserted that the violence was preplanned and that the conspiracy to attack their procession had been hatched well in advance. Speaking to OpIndia, the VHP leader present in Nuh when the violence erupted shared details about the attack on the religious yatra. He alleged that it was a planned attack and the mob had collected stones two days prior to the Shobha Yatra. He added that the mob had a clear intention of attacking Hindus during the religious procession.
The Islamist mob also attacked and desecrated several Hindu temples in the region, the VHP leader added.
Another VHP leader who narrowly escaped death at the hands of Islamists said, “It was indeed preplanned. From their preparations, it did not appear like the spur-of-the-moment eruption of violence but a carefully planned, well-thought-out conspiracy to trap Hindus and kill them. 15-year-old boys were sitting on their knees and firing at us.”
