Deputy CM Promises "Stringent Action" After Communal Unrest In Haryana Yatra, Acknowledges Management Lapses

Promising "stringent action" against those responsible for the communal unrest in Haryana on Monday, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala acknowledged that the management of this year's yatra was not up to par. He pointed out that a key police official was absent during the event, which may have affected the situation.

The yatra organized by the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad turned violent, resulting in the loss of at least four lives, including two home guards.

Chautala commented that there was an incident yesterday, and I feel that the management was not at its best. The SP (Superintendent of Police, Nuh) was on leave due to a family situation, and the responsibility was assigned to the SP of a neighboring district, who might not have been able to assess the situation adequately, reported The Indian Express.

Emphasizing that all the accused would be held accountable, he asserted that the Mewat issue was not incited by a specific leader's statement. The involvement of a Gau Raksha dal resulted in the death of two individuals in Bhawani earlier this year, and the court is actively pursuing that case. The subsequent triggering of the current issue occurred after that incident. Committees have been established in districts to facilitate dialogue with all parties involved.

He admitted that the situation was unforeseen and that the sequence of events unfolded unexpectedly. The Shobha Yatra commenced peacefully, but mobs from different directions entered the scene, leading to incidents in the city area rather than the yatra's intended starting location in the city of Nuh. The conflict later shifted to other areas

In response to a question regarding the role of a self-proclaimed cow vigilante named Monu Manesar, who was linked to the murder of two Muslim men in Bhiwani in February, he candidly expressed concern about such individuals claiming to be cow vigilantes without actually owning cows in their households. He stressed the need to scrutinize the leadership of such movements. Acknowledging Monu Manesar's involvement in escalating the situation with a video, he affirmed that strict action would be taken against him.

In response to a question about whether allowing the yatra amidst rising tensions in the region was a mistake, Chautala clarified that the yatra had been a regular event for four years. However, due to the absence of the designated police in-charge, the officer on duty did not anticipate such a situation. An investigation is underway, and the responsibility for the area has been assigned to SP Bhiwani. To manage the situation, section 144 has been imposed in Gurgaon, Nuh, and Palwal, and arrests of individuals involved have already commenced.