Haryana Death Toll Reaches 5 in Gurugram Violence; CM Alleges Well-Planned Attack

Gurugram/Chandigarh: A mob set fire to an eatery and vandalised adjoining shops in Gurugram’s Badshahpur on Tuesday afternoon, in a fresh case of communal violence after the previous day’s attack on a VHP procession in adjoining Nuh district, even as Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the attack on VHP procession in Nuh was well-planned.

A fire brigade team reached the spot and controlled the blaze, police said.

The Badshahpur market was also shut down, police said.

“Some youths were trying to create ruckus in the market and chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’. We reached the spot and handled the situation,” said Satish Kumar, SHO of Badshahpur police station.

According to reports, some shanties were also set on fire on Kadarpur road. However, police have denied it.

Four people, including two home guards, died and many others injured in Nuh, where mobs tried to stop a Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) procession, while a naib imam was killed at a mosque in Gurugram.

In a tweet, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar termed the Nuh violence as “unfortunate” and said the attack on a VHP procession was “well-planned which pointed to a larger conspiracy”.

Security forces sent by the central and state governments are currently stationed there and the situation has been brought under control, he further tweeted.

So far, 44 FIRs have been registered and 70 people taken into custody, he said.

Khattar said anyone who has indulged in this arson will not be spared, according to an official statement issued after the CM held a meeting with Home Minister Anil Vij and senior officials.

In the meeting held to take stock of the situation, Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal was present while senior police officers, including the DGP, joined it virtually.

Khattar said that every year, the Yatra used to be taken out. This year too, this Yatra was being taken out when the incident occurred at around 2 pm on Monday, he said.

The chief minister said some people hatched a conspiracy and attacked the Yatra. Police personnel were also attacked and there was arson and burning down of vehicles at several places, resulting in disruption of the Yatra, he said.

The authorities are investigating the incident further to comprehend the underlying causes and potential motives behind it, he said.

Home Minister Vij said the officials have been directed to investigate the entire matter, adding the guilty will not be spared.

After the incident, Khattar had dispatched the DGP, ADGP (CID) and ADGP (law and order) to Nuh while police force from other neighbouring areas was rushed and the Centre was requested to send additional forces.

Sixteen companies of central forces and 30 companies of Haryana Police have also reached there and situation in Nuh was normalised, said the CM.

In neighbouring districts, including Gurugram, Palwal and Faridabad, some stray incidents of violence were reported and peace has been established now, he said.

As a precautionary measure, curfew has been imposed in Nuh and Section 144 has been imposed in some of the adjoining districts, he said.

The chief minister expressed his condolences and assured that compensation will be provided to those who have suffered losses of life and property during the incident.

He again appealed to all to cooperate and help maintain peace in the state.

Earlier in the day, Home Minister Vij had said the incident in Nuh does not appear to have happened all of a sudden.

“The level of violence that took place and also occurred at different points, the way stones were collected, the way weapons were brandished, the way shots were fired, it does not appear to have happened all of a sudden,” said Vij.

Both the communities live peacefully there, he said.

Somebody who wanted to disturb peace in the state and the country engineered or masterminded this incident, claimed Vij.

Meanwhile, officials said after the Nuh incident, an alert has been sounded in other districts as well.

In Rewari district, officials had issued advisory appealing people not to lend an ear to any rumour or spread any kind of misinformation.

Official sources said that security has been strengthened in many districts including Rohtak, Jhajjar, Rewari, Panipat, Faridabad, Palwal, in addition to Nuh and Gurugram.