Haryana violence highlights: Mahapanchayat set to be held in Manesar

Monu Manesar and 21 others have been booked for the abduction and murder of two Muslim men in Haryana's Bhiwani in February.

In Haryana's Nuh, mobile internet services were suspended till Wednesday to contain the "intense communal tension", the Haryana government said. "...This order is issued to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in the jurisdiction of district Nuh and shall be in force with effect from 4 pm, July 31 to 23:59 hours of August 2," Additional Chief Secretary (Home) T V S N Prasad said.

21 people, including Bajrang Dal member Monu Manesar, have been booked in the abduction and murder of two Muslim men, whose remains were found inside a charred vehicle in Haryana’s Bhiwani district on February 16, a senior officer said.

Two home guards, identified as Neeraj and Gursevak, were killed and more than 200 people were injured and dozens of vehicles were set on fire as mobs in Haryana’s Nuh district tried to stop a religious procession by the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Monday, officials said.

Two Home Guards were killed, over 200 people were injured and dozens of vehicles were torched as communal violence engulfed Haryana’s Nuh on Monday after clashes erupted between Hindu and Muslim groups during a religious procession by the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad, said police.

The opposition Congress and INLD on Monday targeted the BJP-JJP government in Haryana over the Nuh violence, alleging that the ruling combine has failed on the law and order front, reported news agency PTI.

The miscreants who attacked the procession also ransacked Nuh’s cyber police station and torched a police post at Edward Chowk, roughly 50km from Gurugram. In retaliation, the police fired several rounds of tear gas shells to disperse protesters.

Sajjan Dalal, deputy superintendent of police (Hodal), was shot in the head and was in a critical condition, said a senior police officer. “He is undergoing treatment at Medanta hospital with inspector Anil Kumar of Gurugram police who has also sustained a bullet injury in his abdomen,” he said.

Congress MP Deepender Hooda speaking to news agency ANI on the violence in Haryana's Nuh said, “The incident from Mewat is very unfortunate. I'm appealing to people with folding hands...please maintain brotherhood, harmony and peace.”

Nuh acting SP Narender Bijarniya while speaking to news agency ANI said, “Today's incident is unfortunate. The situation in Nuh is under control. Legal action is being taken against those responsible. Some (police) force members have also suffered injuries.”

At least 20 people have been detained till 11 pm in connection with the violence in Haryana's Nuh district.

According to police officers, the violence began 10 minutes after the procession of around 200 people, began to walk from Edward Chowk in Nuh town. As the group walked down the main road, it was allegedly pelted with rocks by a large crowd. The Hindu side initially fled, but then allegedly regrouped and retaliated.

The Haryana government on Monday night announced the closure of all schools and colleges in Gurugram and Faridabad on Tuesday as a precautionary measure in view of the violence that broke out earlier in the day in Nuh after a mob of miscreants pelted stones and set cars on fire during a religious procession. Read more here

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday condemned the violence in the state and appealed for peace. “Today's incident is unfortunate, I appeal to all the people to maintain peace in the state. The guilty will not be spared at any cost, strictest action will be taken against them,” he wrote on Twitter.

As tensions gripped the state due to violence, the state authorities suspended mobile internet services in Nuh, Faridabad, and Palwal districts till Wednesday.

The Haryana government has imposed section 144 in seven districts of the state in view of the violence. 

According to the reports, the clashes were triggered after Bajrang Dal activist Monu Manesar, a cow vigilante who is accused of lynching two Muslim men, and his associates had circulated an objectionable video a few days ago and were supposed to join the procession.

A home guard was shot dead and over 50 people including policemen were injured in Haryana's Nuh district on Monday night after a mob of unknown miscreants pelted stones and set cars on fire during a religious procession.