Even as parts of Gurugram remained on edge amid communal violence, members of a right-wing Hindu outfit on Wednesday sought a complete ban on namaz being offered in open spaces from August 11.
In a meeting with Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Nishant Yadav, members of Samagra Hindu Seva Sangh, Haryana, demanded that the permission given to the Muslim community to offer namaz at six designated open spaces in the city be revoked. The letter comes after clashes that began in Muslim-dominated Nuh district on Monday spread to parts of Gurugram a day later.
VHP protest at Manesar
A day after Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leaders held a panchayat in the neighbouring village of Manesar and allegedly called for Muslims to “leave as soon as possible”, the right-wing body announced a similar mahapanchayat on Wednesday.
However, the mahapanchayat was not held after the district administration denied permission for the same.
Over 100 VHP workers gathered at a temple in Manesar demanding that their outfit’s detained members be released. They also threatened the administration with “dire consequences”.
Devender Singh, VHP secretary (Gurugram), said, “The police should have been strict in Nuh when our brothers were killed. Now they have detained some of our boys here. They should release them immediately; otherwise, they will be responsible for what happens next.”
The outfit’s members also raised slogans in support of Monu Manesar, a self-styled cow vigilante booked by the Rajasthan police for killing two Muslim men in February.
Crowd dispersed: ACP
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Manesar) Surender Singh said the crowd at the temple was dispersed quickly.
“People only discussed their issues at these gatherings. The atmosphere was peaceful,” he said, adding that no threats were made to any community.
The ACP said that around 10 people were taken into preventive custody in the past two days to maintain law and order in the area.
A member of the temple committee and part of the Tuesday’s panchayat told The Hindu, “Muslims, mostly from U.P. and Bihar, have settled here as they work in nearby industries. They create ruckus here. We have told many of them personally and through their landlords to vacate the houses and leave the area.”
Some Muslims residents of the village said that such calls were routine in Manesar. “They keep making such speeches. Many were scared by these open threats and left the area,” said a barber and a native of Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar. He added that most locals in the village were against such hate-speeches.
