On Thursday, March 23, Darbhanga Police in Bihar registered an FIR against four named and hundred unidentified accused persons after ‘Hindu Rashtra’ banners were found at some locations in Laheriasarai city in Bihar’s Darbhanga. Reportedly, two saffron flags with ‘Hindu Rashtra’ written on them in Hindi were seen near a Durga Temple in the Maulaganj locality of Laheriasarai. The images of the same soon went viral on social media with a section of people demanding police action in the matter.
District Magistrate Dr. Rajeev Roushan acted quickly after receiving the information and directed the concerned police station to remove the flags from that location. Following this, the alleged contentious flags were removed from the spot.
Taking to Twitter, Darbhanga Police informed about the action taken in the matter. “On March 23, an FIR was registered at Mohalla Maulaganj, Laheriasarai Police Station, Darbhanga District, against four identified accused and hundred unidentified persons for allegedly disturbing social and religious harmony by displaying offensive posters and banners on the occasion of Navratri, a Darbhanga Police press statement in Hindi read.
दिनांक 23.03.23 को दरभंगा जिला के लहेरियासराय थाना अंतर्गत मुहल्ला मौलागंज में कुछ असमाजिक तत्वों द्वारा नवरात्रि के अवसर पर आपत्तिजनक पोस्टर/बैनर लगाकर समाजिक एवं धार्मिक सदभाव बिगाड़ने को लेकर 4 नामजद अभियुक्त एवं 100 अज्ञात के विरुद्ध प्राथमिकी दर्ज की गई है।#Biharpolice pic.twitter.com/EIpBAc9EdU
— Darbhanga Police (@DarbhangaPolice) March 23, 2023
The District Magistrate stated that the SSP has been directed to act after being made aware of the issue. ‘India is a democratic nation that upholds constitutional principles. The flags have already been taken down. People are being identified, and action is being taken,’ he added.
Notably, after the ‘Hindu Rashtra’ flags went viral on social media, Nazre Alam, who is the national president of a non-profit organisation named All India Muslim Bedari Karwan, wrote to the District Magistrate seeking action against those who allegedly attempted to disrupt the communal harmony in the area.
In his letter, Alam accused Bajrang Dal of placing Hindu Rashtra banners and also claimed that Hindus and Muslims have been peacefully residing in Darbhanga for centuries, however, if such banners will be put up to hurt the sentiments of the ‘other community’ then neither Bihar nor India will be able to progress. He also added that demanding Hindu Rashtra in a democratic country like India comes under the category of a criminal offence.
Meanwhile, Vishwa Hindu Parishad activist Rajeev Prakash Madhukar said, “if somebody is opposing Hindu Rashtra banners then they are ‘moorkh’ (fools). When you can say Hindustan and we as Sanatanis (Hindus) in our Hindi language if say Hindu Rashtra what is the offence in it, what is there to oppose in it adding that some people are doing these things to promote their politics.”
