On Saturday, 20th July, propaganda portal Newslaundry published a video interview with Gaurakshak Bajrang Force chief Bittu Bajrangi. While speaking to Bittu, Newslaundry’s reporter Avdesh Kumar spoke to him politely but the agenda with which he approached the interview was sinister.
Violence broke out in Nuh during a jalabhishek yatra in July last year, killing six people. Key accused Bittu Bajrangi is set to lead the same yatra today.
— newslaundry (@newslaundry) July 22, 2024
Catch the cow vigilante in conversation with @ImAvdheshkumar: https://t.co/Mlmg1HouAB pic.twitter.com/drH6xJ1h93
The title of the video interview reads, “The main accused of Nuh riots and out on bail Bittu Bajrangi to organize Jalabhishek Yatra again”. The description of the video, which was in Hindi, read, “Bittu Bajrangi, the main accused in the violence that occurred on July 31 last year, is personally inviting people to participate in this procession. We spoke to Bittu Bajrangi in detail about this matter. It should be noted that the violence in Nuh, Haryana, last year created a climate of concern across the state and the country. This violence occurred during a religious procession when a minor dispute between two communities suddenly escalated. Six people lost their lives, and many were injured in the violence.”
The description further read, “Bittu Bajrangi, known as a Gau Rakshak, was prominently implicated in this incident. He also runs an organization called Gau Raksha Bajrang Force. Last year, he was arrested on charges of inciting violence and playing an active role in it. The police and administration considered him one of the main accused. Bittu Bajrangi participated in the religious procession during which the violence started. He is accused of inciting his supporters and encouraging them to engage in violent activities. Immediately after the violence, Bittu Bajrangi was taken into police custody, and multiple charges were filed against him. He is currently out on bail.”
OpIndia talked to Bittu Bajrangi to get his views on the title and description. He said, “I am heartbroken. I will be vigilant next time before agreeing to an interview”. From his statement, it is evident that he was unaware of how he was going to be presented in the video.
No one is denying that there are several cases filed against Bittu Bajrangi, especially linked to his Gau Raksha work. However, in this case, Newslaundry has presented him as if he was the one solely responsible for the Nuh violence that took place on 31st July 2023. OpIndia accessed court documents, including his bail orders by the Sessions Court. There was no mention that he was the main accused. As the order read, Usha [Kundu], HPS Additional Superintendent of Police, Nuh, was posted on the day of the incident. She noticed Bittu and his accomplices coming towards the temple to join the procession.
She pointed out in her complaint that Bittu and his accomplices were carrying swords and Trishul-like weapons which were confiscated by the police. After the police confiscated the swords and Trishul, Bittu and his accomplices got into an altercation with the police and staged a protest by sitting on the road in front of the police vehicle. It was then alleged that they forcefully took the weapons away. Defense counsel appearing for Bittu argued that the alleged weapons were just symbols that were carried for display.
While granting bail to Bittu, the court noted, “It has nowhere been pointed out that as to whether these weapons were being used to cause violence on the spot or to inflict any injury either to the policemen or to any people of a particular community. No such allegations are there. Snatching of such articles/weapons from the policemen is also highly improbable.” Bittu Bajrangi was accused under sections 148, 149, 332, 353, 186, 395, 397, 506, 25, 54, and 59 of the IPC in connection with the Nuh violence incident.
It was nowhere mentioned in the FIR that Bittu Bajrangi used the weapons or inflicted any injuries on police personnel or people of a particular community.
Notably, a trial in the matter has started in the Sessions court and a non-bailable warrant was issued against Bittu as he failed to appear in court via video conferencing. His counsel argued there was some miscommunication but NBW was issued by the court. However, that still does not prove that he played any role in the violence.
Newslaundry’s description lacks facts. They mentioned that six people were killed but did not mention what was the reason behind it. Newslaundry failed to mention that a Hindu boy named Abhishek was shot dead and then beheaded by an Islamist mob. Abhishek’s head was then crushed with a stone. Newslaundry did not make a video explaining how an Islamist mob attacked a cybercrime police station or how a female judge was attacked during the violence by the Islamist mob when she was traveling with her daughter. Shops of Hindus were burnt to the ground, Hindu pilgrims were made hostages in a temple, and police personnel and home guards were killed by the riotous Islamist mob. This is how propaganda works and Newslaundry is an expert in it.
As mentioned earlier, no one is denying the cases against Bittu. He mentioned that there are around eight cases currently pending against him and he has been in and out of jail over such cases. But that does not nullify the fact that he has tirelessly worked for the welfare of the Hindu community including Gau Raksha. While propaganda portals do not skip a breath before mentioning terrorists like Afzal Guru as a professor or riot-accused Umar Khalid as a “student activist”, when it comes to Hindu activists like Bittu, they present them as no less than terrorists, while hiding the crimes of the Islamists against which those like Bittu Bajrangi act in defense.
Hundreds and thousands of Hindu activists are misrepresented by the left-leaning media which often distorts their intentions and work. Take the example of this interview. The NL reporter kept pressing Bittu to “reveal” his political affiliation. Bittu pointed out that he works independently without any political affiliation or “sar par haath” per se.
Kumar kept asking if he was associated with RSS, BJP, or VHP. Bittu clearly said that he is inspired by these organizations and attached to them in one way or another. When the reporter said VHP has “disowned” him, Bittu said, “When a family member does something wrong, the elders of the family say in anger ‘he is not part of our family’. That does not necessarily mean that the person who did wrong has been disowned”. The argument visibly rattled the reporter, and he changed his course of questions.
From the use of foul language to alleged derogatory social media posts, Kumar did not leave any stone unturned to agitate Bittu during the interview. Bittu at one point said, “I am a very calm person who does not use foul language. However if someone acts against the Hindu community, I may get angry”. He admitted he gets angry but that does not mean he uses foul language every time he speaks, something which Newslaundry’s reporter wanted to present.
What could be the aim of such an interview that too just a couple of days before the scheduled Brijmandal Yatra? The aim was simple. Newslaundry wanted to set a narrative that Bittu Bajrangi was the key accused and reason for Nuh’s violence last year. In case anything happens during the 2024 Yatra, the blame would have again gone to Hindu activists. Unfortunately for Newslaundry and fortunately for Bittu, he was not granted permission to attend Yatra. It was one of his bail conditions that he would not visit Nuh until the trial was over, which could have led to the denial of the permission, this, despite there being no proof of his involvement in any violence during the Nuh Yatra, and there being plenty of evidence of the violence unleashed by the Muslim mob.
One can only hope nothing happens during the ongoing Brijmandal Yatra as 5,000 police personnel have been deployed by the Haryana government to avoid any sort of agitation or violence. In a country where Hindus are supposedly a majority, they need protection from the police (in the case of Brijmandal Yatra) and the Army (in the case of Amarnath Yatra) to participate in a pilgrimage which speaks volumes about the reality of the situation.
