JOIN USMP: Bajrang Dal claims 8 Muslim youth handed over to cops from 'garba' venues for 'immoral activities'
The Bajrang Dal has caught eight Muslim youths at 'garba' venues in Indore in Madhya Pradesh over the past three days for alleged involvement in "immoral activities", a functionary of the right-wing Hindu outfit claimed on Thursday.
He said over 400 activists have been deployed at Navratri venues here to check "love jihad". However, a senior Indore police official said the situation at all these venues was peaceful and no "love jihad" activity was underway in any of them.
"Love jihad" is a term used by right-wing groups and activists to allege a concerted effort by Muslim men to convert Hindu women to Islam through marriage.
Speaking to PTI, Bajrang Dal Indore unit coordinator Tannu Sharma alleged these eight youths had entered the garba venues by hiding their identities.
"We have deployed our 400 workers in various garba pandals to check love-jihad. It is their duty to check whether any person is entering these premises by hiding their real identities and indulging in immoral activities," he said.
"In the last three days, after getting information about immoral activities, these workers have caught eight Muslim youths from different localities. They had entered the venues by hiding their identities. We handed them over to the police," Sharma claimed. He alleged these youths were shooting videos of women without permission and were also indulging in other "immoral activities".
Some purported videos of Bajrang Dal activists handing over such youth to the police have gone viral on social media.
Indore Additional Commissioner of Police Rajesh Hingankar said, in order to ensure peace, these youths were arrested under section 151 the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). This section allows a police official to arrest a person without orders of a magistrate or without a warrant if it appears that the commissioning of an offence cannot be prevented without such arrest.
Hingankar, however, added, "The situation in all the garba pandals of the city is peaceful. No activities like alleged love jihad is going on in them."
Meanwhile, state Congress spokesperson Santosh Singh Gautam said any person irrespective of religion must be subjected to appropriate legal action if he or she indulges in any wrongdoing.
"But we want to know whether the Bharatiya Janata Party government in MP has given a free hand to the Bajrang Dal to indulge in moral policing," Gautam questioned.
Incidentally, state home minister Narottam Mishra had, on September 27, directed organisers of garba pandals to check the identity cards of those entering the venue.
Earlier, state minister Usha Thakur had said ID cards should be checked at Navratri venues to prevent "love jihad" incidents.