Nuh violence & after: VHP rallies in several states call for killing of Muslims, social & economic boycott

In the days following the communal clashes in Nuh during Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP)’s Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra on July 31, several rallies and Mahapanchayats were held in many states, including Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where Hindutva ideologues made open calls for the killing of Muslims and their social and economic boycott. These meetings/processions were organised by Right Wing outfits like the VHP, where demonstrators repeatedly raised communally divisive slogans. In a number of cases, open calls for violence were made in the presence of police personnel. In around 50 panchayats in three districts of Haryana, open letters were issued barring the entry of Muslims.

The VHP and Bajrang Dal workers also gave bytes to the media where they appealed to the Haryana government and authorities to take action against those responsible for the violence in Nuh. A common theme among these demonstrations was the vehement assertion that the police were unjustly detaining innocent Hindus. This sentiment arose from the belief that the government was driven by ‘vote bank politics’ and was thus reluctant to arrest Muslims, as such actions were perceived as not conducive to securing electoral victories.

Most recently, a Hindu Mahapanchayat was held at Pondri village in the Palwal district in Haryana on August 11. The rally was initially supposed to be held in Nuh district’s Kira village but permission was denied for it in view of the prevailing law and order situation. Prior to the Mahapanchayat, police stated that permission for a limited gathering had been given and strict action would be taken if any hate speech was made. However, despite the ‘no hate speech policy’, some speakers issued open threats in the presence of police personnel. A speaker was reportedly heard saying, “If you raise a finger, we will cut off your hands”.

Acharya Azad Singh Arya, the chief of VHP Haryana and senior member of ‘Gau Raksha Dal’ in Haryana, also spoke at the Mahapanchayat. He made several controversial statements including urging the Hindus of Mewat and neighbouring villages to take up arms. “Hindus of Mewat and the neighbouring villages should take up at least 100 arms. Not revolvers, you should take rifles. Revolvers don’t have an effective range”, he was heard saying. He also appealed to the authorities to ‘bulldoze’ the houses of those Muslims who slaughtered cows and were responsible for violence in Nuh. He demanded that those accountable for the violence be hanged within six months.

Over 50 panchayats in three districts — Rewari, Mahendergarh and Jhajjar — released letters barring the entry of Muslim traders. The letters, signed by sarpanches, also say Muslims living in the villages need to submit their identity documents to the police. “We don’t intend to hurt anyone’s religious sentiments,” the letters read. According to an NDTV report, a letter was also issued in the Munda Khera village in the Jhajjar district which stated that the Panchayat had decided to forbid entry to Muslim traders and pheriwalas into the village.

These events and actions have resulted in thousands of Muslim workers fleeing Gurugram. Several hotels and salons owned by Muslims have closed down in fear. Anticipating potential backlash, other shopkeepers have displayed posters stating that they employ only Hindu workers in their shops. Muslim shopkeepers in Gurugram spoke to The Hindu and expressed their growing concerns about their livelihood. “We barely make enough to sustain ourselves. Now, we are being told not to rent spaces or engage in any kind of business. We are migrant workers. If we are not allowed to earn a living, we won’t be able to survive,” one of them said.

Below, Alt News has attempted to analyse and document the slogans and divisive speeches made at some of the rallies and Mahapanchayats across different states, after the violent clashes in Nuh.

Tigra Village, Haryana

On Sunday, August 6, a Mahapanchayat was held at Haryana’s Tigra village where participants and speakers demanded the release of their ‘innocent Hindu brothers’ who were ‘wrongfully’ arrested after the clashes in Nuh. The gathering did not have official permission, according to police officers.

The speakers at the Mahapanchayat vehemently called for a boycott of Muslims in the society. We accessed hour-long footage of the footage recorded by media outlet Punjab Kesri Haryana. VHP leader Yashwant Shekhawat took the stage and started his speech by condemning the violence inflicted in Haryana by “jihadis”. “…They (Muslims) feed off us, and they shoot at us… We can do a lot. You have successfully boycotted Chinese goods, now it is time for us to boycott these terrorists…. My request to all Hindus today is to think and understand, make sure that they don’t feed off us and don’t kill us. They think by pelting stones and killing people, they can stop us. We will not stop, history has witnessed this”. He ended his speech by encouraging his Hindu brothers to boycott ‘adharmis’ (Muslims) and unite against them.

The next speaker, one Ashok Bhai, took the stage and started his speech by asking the residents of Tigra and neighbouring villages to boycott Muslims. “My request to all of you: Don’t rent out rooms to these Muslims. Our parents used to harvest crops and we would eat off one plate. So my request is don’t rent out to these Muslims, who run meat and fish shops. We will starve but we will not give them money. I request with folded arms. Check everyone’s Aadhaar card, if they are Muslims, don’t rent your house or land to them. Hindus can run meat shops, don’t let Muslim outsiders come here. They will shoot at us only”. He ended his speech by appealing to the authorities to release all those who have been “unjustly arrested”.

Hindu rights leader and advocate Kulbhushan Bhardwaj also took the stage. He gave a brief introduction about himself at first. “I am giving this introduction because whenever they file an FIR against me, they write my name and address all wrong”, Bhardwaj said in a sarcastic comment. He claimed that the authorities had wrongfully arrested innocent Hindus. “We don’t want a CM like Manohar Lal Khattar. We want Yogi as our chief minister. If you can’t do that, then incorporate Mewat into Uttar Pradesh, under Yogiji. We’ll then see who can dare to look Hindus in the eye”. In an open threat to Firozpur Jhirka MLA Mamman Khan, Bhardwaj said that they knew where he lived and thus should tone down.

Bhardwaj was also heard saying, “In Gurugram, most of the labourers, like scrap pickers and carpenters, are Muslims. But will a Muslim ever get slapped? No, because Hindus have the power to protect those who seek refuge in our shelter. We are not cowards, we have the courage to fight face-to-face….“. He ended his speech by requesting the attendees to support and uplift Hindu labourers. He also told off the authorities, whom he addressed as impotent individuals within the realm of power, and declared that the Hindus do not need permission to carry out processions and Mahapanchayats.

All the speeches of the Mahapanchayat were similarly worded and had recurrent themes with speakers raising the same questions for the authorities. One of the individuals even stated that “We cast our votes for Modi and Manohar saab not for the country’s development, but so that Abdullahs bow their heads when our Hindu daughters and sisters walk by”.

Two days later, two of the speakers — Kulbhushan Bhardwaj and Babita Gurjar — were booked for their speeches at the event. An FIR was registered under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, etc.), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code, police said.

Hisar, Haryana

A rally led by workers of the VHP and the Bajrang Dal was held in Hansi, Hisar on August 2. A clip of the rally shows a demonstrator giving an ultimatum to the shopkeepers of the area to fire any Muslim employees. “If after two days, we find any shopkeeper employing a Muslim worker, we will put up boycott posters outside their shops. We will declare them traitors”. This was followed by slogans of Jai Sri Ram and Bharat Mata Ki Jay.

Another demonstrator is heard saying, “Don’t think that the incident at Nuh happened far away. Haryana is our home. There are 22 districts in Haryana and only one district belongs to Muslims, to those dogs where our procession was attacked. Hindus are Kshatriyas, and whenever there has been an attack on Kshatriyas, they have picked up weapons. When Kshatriyas pick up their weapons, no one will be spared“, in what can be perceived as an open call for violence. The slogan “Mulla Kaate Jayenge, Ram Ram Chillayenge” (When Muslims get chopped, they will shout Ram Ram) was raised.

After this rally, an FIR was registered against four people while 12-15 unidentified people were booked under Sections 505 (inciting communal disharmony) and 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) of the Indian Penal Code. The contents of the FIR are unknown as it has not yet been made public. The station house officer (SHO) of Hansi City Uday Bhan Godara told The Wire that although no arrests had been made (as of August 5), no untoward incident had been reported after the rally.

Bahadurgarh, Haryana

On July 31, Bajrang Dal members in Bahadurgarh took out a rally to protest against the violence in Nuh. We accessed the 20-minute footage of the rally where slogans of Jai Sri Ram, Inquilab Zindabad and Bharat Mata Ki Jay were raised initially which were followed by the slogan Desh Ke Gaddaron Ko Goli Maaron Saalon Ko (Translation: “Shoot the traitors of our country”). Popularised by BJP leader and Union minister Anurag Thakur, this slogan was often used against Muslims during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act. This slogan in question was raised over 50 times in a span of 20 minutes in the presence of these policemen.

We noticed that the rally was led by police vans with police personnel walking alongside the rallyists.

Later, in a byte, the protesters accused authorities and the government of not taking any action. “They are under the pressure of certain communities”. In an appeal to the authorities, the Bajrang Dal protesters asked for the safe evacuation of their Hindu brothers and taking them home. “They (Muslims) get violent every time. They intentionally fight with Hindus. This won’t be tolerated anymore. The violence is happening in Delhi now, but Delhi is not far. These incidents can happen here tomorrow. Dharam ki ladai kabhi bhi ho sakta hai”.

Another protester is heard saying, “Muslims are cancerous to the country. As long as this problem does not get treated, no solution can be achieved. Only if the administration works like Yogi’s then only we will get peace…They don’t consider us brothers. We have been preaching this brotherhood since 1947, but they still have not come to their senses. Now we need tit-for-tat. If they hit us, we will hit back. For this, the Hindus need to be united“. He also went on to claim that Hindutva is dying and that the government does not pay any heed to the Hindus. In a sarcastic jab, he calls Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal ‘Kejruddin’.

The rally took place along the Delhi-Rohtak corridor, crossing the Delhi Hospital and Nursing Home, SR Century Public School and the Bahadurgarh Metro Station.

Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh

On August 2, VHP activists staged a protest and demanded action against those accountable for the violence in Nuh by forming a human chain and raising slogans like “Desh Ke Gaddaron Ko, Goli Maaro Saalon Ko” (Translation: Shoot the traitors of the country) and “Desh Ke Gaddaron Ko, Phaansi Do Saalon Ko” (Translation: Hang the traitors of the country) in Behat. In a clip of the rally uploaded by media outlet UP Tak, the viewer can hear the slogans “Mewat Ke Kattaron Ko, Phaansi Do Saalon Ko” (Translation: Hang the Muslims of Mewat) and “Na Mulla Na Qazi ka, yeh desh hai Veer Shivaji ka” (Translation: This country does not belong to Muslims, it belongs to Veer Shivaji). This rally also took place in the presence of police personnel.

In a byte to media outlet DPD News, Manish Yogacharya of the VHP said, “A ritualistic procession was planned a couple of days ago by the VHP. However, in Nuh, Jihadis attacked the Hindu society. Approximately 10-15 Hindu workers were pushed towards death. The Jihadis had conspired against us. This was a pre-planned attack. The entire Hindu society is outraged. Today, as directed by the central leadership, all districts across the entire country, wherever there are district headquarters, have made arrangements to hold protests, and send a message to the government and the non-righteous society that if such incidents occur in the country, the Bajrang Dal is capable of responding to it”.

Roorkee, Uttarakhand

On August 2, VHP workers assembled at Chandrashekhar Chowk in Roorkee to protest against the violence at Nuh. They burnt effigies and raised slogans. In a byte to media outlet Dainik Roorkee, a demonstrator said, “The attack on Mewat’s Shobhayata by ‘Jihadis’ is being protested across the country including Roorkee. Yaha Jihad ka putla jalaya jayega Bajrang Dal ki karyakarta ke dwara (Translation: Here, effigies of Jihad will be burned by the Bajrang Dal activists)”. He continued, “You’ll notice that none of the Muslim processions is attacked by the Hindus, be it Muharram or any other occasion. But every time a Hindu religious procession like Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti or the Mewat Shobhayatra is planned, these Jihadis stop us, their Jihadi mentalities stop us. They are trained like this by Mullahs and Maulvis. This is why they attack Hindu processions”.

“Yeh desh Hinduon ka hai, aur yaha abhi Pakistan Ghoshit nahi hua. Jis din Pakistan ghoshit hoga, usdin hum naare lagane band kar denge. Desh ke vibhajan bhi Dharam ke adahar par hua tha…. Main Vishva Hindu Parishad ka padadhikari hu, Bajrang Dal ka padadhikari hu- Main hintuva ki baat karunga. Sarkar karegi sabka saath sabka vikaas“. (Translation: This country belongs to Hindus, and it has not been declared Pakistan. The day it is declared Pakistan, we will stop raising slogans. Even the division of the country was based on religion…. I am a Vishva Hindu Parishad worker, I am a Bajrang Dal worker – I will talk about Hindutva. The government will work for the welfare of all).

Another protestor is heard saying, “Why are only Hindu processions being stone-pelted?… We will not tolerate this anymore, we will answer them. How long will Hindus be quiet? Will Hindus only get beaten up? Are Hindus only waiting to die?… Hindus, who were quiet until yesterday, have woken up now… This situation has arisen there (in Mewat) in the past as well, today also those unrighteous people’s dirty mentality has come to the fore”.

The Twitter handle HindutvaWatch also shared a clip of the demonstration. The protesters can be heard raising divisive slogans like “Na Mullon Ka, Na Qazi Ka, Yeh Desh Hai Bajrang Bali ka” and “Na Ali Ka Na Wali Ka, Yeh Desh hai Bajrang Bali Ka“. These slogans roughly imply that the country belongs to Hindus, not Muslims. The slogan “Mullah Gardi Nahi Chalegi” (Translation: We will not tolerate Muslims and their practices) can also be heard at the end of the clip.

Location: Roorkee, Uttarakhand
Date: August 2, 2023

Vishwa Hindu Parishad members organised a rally raising derogatory slogans against Muslims.

“Na mullon ka na qazi ka, yeh desh hai Veer Shivaji ka (Roughly translated as: This nation doesn’t belong to Muslims).” pic.twitter.com/TubShWGrnT

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) August 3, 2023

Dehradun, Uttarakhand

In Dehradun, members of Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad demonstrated their anger against the violence that occurred in Nuh at the Dehradun Library Chowk on August 2. In a clip of the demonstrations uploaded by Facebook page Devbhoomi Raibar, a protester says while speaking to the crowd, “The world is facing heavy troubles only because of one community. If we don’t wake up now, then we’ll have to suffer forever. You need to save your Sanatan Dharm“. At 5:18, the man is heard saying, “..unko goli maari jaye. Pathhar ka uttar sirf goli hai” in a call for violence (Translation: ..shoot them. The only answer to stone-pelting is bullets”). He says that Hindus need to step out in the streets and protest in order to keep democracy alive. “We don’t want to snatch from anyone, but if someone snatches from us, we won’t let them off”, he says while the crowd erupts in a unanimous cheer.

“If government vehicles are being torched, those vehicles belong to you. It is your hard-earned money that funds these cars for the government. If a policeman is being shot, that policeman is from your family, our family. If they (Muslims) are shooting at even policemen, then imagine where we are. Humari aukaat unke saamne kya hai? Those people congregate in thousands every time and indulge in stone-pelting, inflicting harm and killing… If the authorities shoot the stone-pelters, do you think they will do it a second time? (crowd says no) Then why is the central government quiet? They are tempted by the vote bank and driven by the greed of winning the elections”.

In a byte to the media outlet at the end of the clip above, the same man says, “If they slap us on one cheek, we will not offer the other one anymore. We are capable of breaking the hands which slap us. We will not let descendants of Aurangzeb foster in this country anymore. The times have changed, let the Hindu sentiment be stirred again. Whoever cannot accept Bharat can go to Pakistan“.

The protesters were also seen holding posters with communal phrases like “Desh Humara Hindustan, Bhago Jihadi Pakistan” (Translation: Our country is Hindustan, Jihadis go to Pakistan”) and “Jihadi Mansikta Murdabad Murdabad” (Translation: “Down with the mindset of Jihadis).

Assandh, Haryana

On August 3, Hindu youths of Assandh took out a rally in protest of the violence at Nuh where they raised slogans like “Desh Ke Gaddaron Ko Goli Maaron Saalon Ko” (Translation: Shoot the traitors of the country) and “Allah-Ullah kehne nahi dena, Ek Bhi Mullah Rehene Nahi Dena” (Translation: We won’t let them say Allah, and we won’t let Muslims live). Twitter handle HindutvaWatch tweeted a clip of the rally.

Location: Assandh, Karnal, Haryana

Far-right supporters, along with Bajrang Dal members, took out a rally shouting anti-Muslim slogans.

“Allah-Ullah kehn nhi dena, ek bhi Mulla rehen nhi dena (Rough translation: We won’t let them say Allah, and we won’t let Muslims live).” pic.twitter.com/fsQXUPoVAC

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) August 4, 2023

A 27-minute live stream of the protest can be found here. The rally started in front of the Assandh police station and stopped in front of the sub-divisional Magistrate’s office. These communal and divisive slogans were raised throughout their rally.

Jind, Haryana

On August 2, Acharya Yogendra Maharaj, the president of Gau Raksha Dal Haryana, conducted a live broadcast on Facebook as he joined a rally in Jind against the Nuh violence. The rallyists denounced Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar through slogans. They also raised divisive slogans like “Tel Lagao Dabur ka, Naam mitao Babur ka“, “Hindu Hindusthan ka, Mullah Pakistan ka” (Translation: Hindustan belongs to the Hindus, Pakistan belongs to the Muslims), “Teen Nahi Toh Teen Hazaar, Nahi Bachegi Ek Mazar” (Translation: If not three then three thousand, we won’t spare a single Mazar) and “Bharat Mein Yadi Rehna Hoga, Vande Mataram Kehna Hoga” (Translation: If you want to stay in India, you have to say Vande Mataram). As open calls for violence, the demonstrators then raised slogans like “Jab Mulle Kaate Jayenge, Ram Ram chillayenge” (Translation: When the Muslims get chopped, they will shout Ram Ram).

In a separate byte on August 4, Yogendra Maharaj is heard saying, “Today Maulvis are teaching Muslims to kill people from other religions, convert them to Islam. Thus spiritual leaders should take proper guidance and teachings according to the Vedic principles, and don this robe only after receiving proper instruction in order to propagate and spread the teachings”. Yogendra Maharaj is seen appealing to the authorities to take strict action.

The ‘refusal’ of Muslims to sing or say Vande Mataram has been a point of contention for Hindutva activists for quite some time.

Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh

In Prayagraj, retired IPS officer K P Singh, who has now joined the VHP, participated in the protest held by the Hindu Right Wing outfit and staged a chakka jam near Subhash Chauraha on August 2. In a video shot during the procession, a mob, led by Singh, can be seen assaulting a tractor driver and pulling him down from the tractor by his shirt. The slogan “Desh Ke Gaddron Ko, Goli Maaro Saalon Ko” can be heard being raised in the background. In another clip, Singh is seen stopping a bus and making threatening gestures at the driver. When the police tried to intervene and stop the blockade, Singh reportedly indulged in an altercation with the police, while people in the background chanted “Bulldozer Baba Zindabad“. The altercation, too, has been caught on camera.

In a byte, Vinod Aggarwal, a senior office bearer of the VHP in Prayagraj, said, “The violence in Nuh was pre-planned. How did they acquire so many weapons on such short notice? This violence requires an in-depth investigation and the convicted should be given the strictest penalty so that this doesn’t happen in the future”.

He continued “We demand an in-depth probe by the National Investigation Agency over the violence in Nuh. The riots point towards the negligence of the authorities. Whoever is responsible for the violence, their houses need to be searched and their arms should be seized by the police. Their houses should be bulldozed similar to the way Yogi Baba uses the bulldozer to restore peace in UP“. Additionally he compares Muslims to snakes when he says, “no matter how much milk to feed them, they will not stop until they spread their hood“. According to The Hindu, the workers also “burnt effigies of Islamic terrorism” to send a message that an attack will not be tolerated.

HindutvaWatch also tweeted a video of the rally where the protesters can be heard raising slogans like “Desh Ke Gaddaron ko, Goli maaron Saalon ko” and “Har Ek Jihadi Ko, Phaansi Do“.

Location: Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh
Date: August 2, 2023

Vishwa Hindu Parishad members organised a rally shouting hateful slogans: “Desh ke gaddaron ko, Goli maro salon ko (shoot the traitors of our country).” pic.twitter.com/HxtmS8VUCe

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) August 3, 2023

Boycott Calls Unacceptable: Supreme Court

On August 11, a Division Bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatt of the Supreme Court said that the calls to boycott the Muslim community after the recent outbreak of violence at Nuh, Haryana was unacceptable. The Bench was hearing a petition filed by a journalist, Shaheen Abdullah, alleging that over 27 rallies were organised in various states where speakers delivered hate speeches. The court suggested that a committe be formed under the Haryana DGP to look into the allegations and take appropriate action.

 

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