Rajasthan Police free to act against Bajrang Dal's Monu Manesar: Haryana CM Khattar on Nuh violence

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Wednesday that Rajasthan police are free to take action against Bajrang Dal activists and cow vigilante Monu Manesar whose purported video ahead of the VHP yatra has been cited as one of the provocations which triggered communal clashes in the state.

“We will extend all help. Rajasthan police are free to act against Monu Manesar,” Khattar said in Chandigarh.

Also read | Nuh clashes: SC tells central, state govts to ensure there's no hate speech, violence during VHP's protest marches

Manesar is wanted by the Rajasthan police in a case related to the murder of two cattle traders whose charred bodies were found in Bhiwani in Haryana earlier this year.

However, Khattar’s senior colleague and state home minister Anil Vij told agencies that he had seen the video and “nowhere is he (Manesar) instigating people to riot.” Earlier Khattar too had pointed to a “larger conspiracy” behind Nuh communal clashes.

But BJP ally and deputy CM and JJP President Dushyant Chautala cited the lack of proper information provided to the district administration by the VHP as one of the reasons which may have led to the violence.

“The organizers of the yatra had not given proper estimation to the district administration about the crowd participating in the event. Lack of information somewhere or the other appears to have led to the incident,” BJP ally Chautala told reporters in Chandigarh.

Six people died in the communal clashes in Haryana which were triggered by an attack on a VHP procession in Nuh on Sunday. The violence thereafter spread to other adjoining towns like Palwal, Gurugram, Sohna, and Faridabad.

The administration on Wednesday lifted the curfew in Nuh for two hours and further relaxations would be done only after reviewing the situation.

Haryana DGP PK Agarwal who is camping in Gurugram said an SIT has been constituted and the role of Monu Manesar will also be probed.

The state police chief said the situation in the riot-affected areas was under control. And the administration has been asked to take strict action against anyone trying to instigate violence.

Meanwhile, the opposition targeted the Khattar government for failing to maintain law and order. Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said the clashes mark, “a black day in the state's history which is being sacrificed at the altar of communal politics 75 years after Independence.”

The state administration has arrested 116 people and detained another 90 for Monday’s clashes. 14 companies of central paramilitary forces are deployed while 4 more have been requisitioned.