Gurugram’s sector 70 has been affected by yesterday’s 18-hour communal clash in Haryana’s Nuh, which resulted in five fatalities and at least 70 injuries. In Sector 70, a business and some shanties near to a housing development were set on fire late on Tuesday night.
Varun Kumar Dahiya, the ACP for Crime in Gurgaon, advised, “Please contact helpline number 112 in case of any violence and don’t believe rumours. The internet is also operational.”
Rioting was seen earlier today in Badshahpur, which is 50 kilometres from Nuh. Approximately 200 people in a crowd, armed with sticks and stones, entered the area at 3 p.m., according to witnesses. They set fire to a restaurant while chanting religious chants and vandalised several stores, including several meat shops. Nobody was hurt.
Yesterday, violence broke out during a religious procession in Nuh, which is only 50 kilometres from Delhi, as a result of what many claim to be an offensive video that went viral. The 2,500 or so people fled into a temple to find safety as a crowd threw stones at the procession.
As the evening wore on, the violence worsened; around midnight, a mosque was set on fire, and crowds rampaged through Nuh and the nearby city of Gurugram, torching and vandalising more than a hundred vehicles. Two members of the security team, two civilians, and a mosque priest are among the deceased.
Near midnight, the persons who had sought refuge in the temple were rescued.
The administration reports that 44 FIRs have been filed thus far, leading to the arrest of more than 70 people.
Rumours that Monu Manesar, a Bajrang Dal activist wanted for the death of two men from Bharatpur, would be at the rally sparked the violence.
In a video, Monu Manesar, who has been on the run since Junaid and Nasir were beaten and set afire in their car in February, requested that people join the religious procession and said he will be there as well. Sources claimed that before to the protest, his associates had also delivered aggressive speeches.
Chaudhary Aftab, the MLA from Nuh, said, “People were already angry with the statements of Monu Manesar, Bittu Bajrangi and rumours spread that Monu had come to Manesar… so the violence started”.
“I told the administration a day ago that the atmosphere is deteriorating, do not give permission (for the procession). But they did not agree. All this happened due to Monu Manesar’s statement,” he added.
All educational facilities in Gurugram, including schools, colleges, and coaching facilities, were closed today. Additionally, the Class 10 and 12 board exams were postponed. The administration has announced that Sohna’s educational facilities would be closed on Monday.
Manohar Lal Khattar, the chief minister of Haryana, has threatened “strict action”. “The event today is regrettable. I make a plea to everyone to keep the state peaceful. The guilty will not be spared at any cost, and the harshest punishment will be meted out to them, he tweeted.
Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, called the acts of communal violence “deeply troubling” and urged residents to keep the peace.
“The communal violence in Haryana’s Nuh (Mewat) is deeply troubling. After Manipur in the Northeast, now such an incident in Haryana is not a good sign,” he said.
