Nuh violence was 'pre-planned,' hints Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij
Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij has suggested that the Nuh violence on Monday was "pre-planned" while describing the way bullets were shot from the hillocks and stones were collected on rooftops of buildings. A senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Vij also confirmed that 202 individuals have been arrested, while 80 others are in preventive detention over alleged links to the communal clashes.
Why does this story matter?
On Monday, communal violence erupted in Haryana's Nuh when a Muslim mob allegedly pelted stones at a religious procession organized by the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). The subsequent rioting claimed the lives of six people and wounded nearly 200 others. Furthermore, violence also spread to adjourning areas like Gurugram and some parts of Delhi as well.
Haryana minister assures strict action against those involved
While assuring strict action against those involved in the riots, Vij confirmed that the police were questioning the detainees. Talking about the violence, the veteran BJP leader also questioned where the weapons came from and how every individual at the clashes had a "lathi" in their hand. Notably, the police have registered 102 FIRs in the matter so far.
'From where did weapons come?' asks Vij
"I want to assure you that anyone involved in the violence won't be spared," news agency PTI quoted Vij as saying. "It is a big game plan; every person had a lathi in his hand. Were these being distributed for free? Someone must have arranged these. Bullets were being fired. From where did weapons come?" the Haryana minister asked.
Video of Vij addressing media
Khaps, farmers call for peace talks amid tension: Report
Amid the ongoing violence in Haryana, several khaps and farmer organizations have reportedly called for Sarva Dharma Sammelan (all-religion conference) on Saturday in the Jind district. According to the news outlet Hindustan Times, kap heads and top leaders from the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) are also set to visit the violence-hit Nuh and appeal for harmony and unity.
All you need to know about Nuh communal violence
On Monday, ethnic violence engulfed Haryana's Nuh district and spread to adjacent Gurugram, claiming at least six lives. It allegedly erupted in a Muslim-dominated area as reports spread that Bajrang Dal member Monu Manesar would be joining the VHP procession. Notably, Manesar is wanted in February's Bhiwani double murder case on suspicion of being involved in the lynching of two Muslim livestock dealers.
