Having suffered communal clashes, loss of six lives and disrupted social harmony due to July 31 violence, Haryana, while hoping for a no repeat, gears up for yet another yatra on Monday.
A day before, Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala said that the rise in communal flare-ups was a cause for concern and merits serious deliberations from all quarters. He also added that yatra management was not at its best and strict action will be taken against the accused.
Haryana Director-General of Police Shatrujeet Kapur, while presiding over a virtual meeting with senior police members, said the administration had denied permission to yatra in the wake of G20 Sherpa group meeting scheduled to be held in the district from September 3-7 and also to maintain law and order in the state after the July 31 incident.
Yatra to happen without permission
In a clear violation of rules, even as the Nuh administration denied permission for Monday's Braj Mandal Jalaabhishek Yatra, the right-wing outfit Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) asserted that the yatra will take place, regardless. VHP's Joint General Secretary Surendra Kumar Jain said, "This time, the Hindu society of Mewat has decided to organize the Yatra with perseverance and resolve. This is why the VHP is announcing a programme for the entire state."
Emphasizing that yatra will be taken out and there is no need to take permission for religious events, he also added, "A mass Jalaabhishek programme will be organised in a Shiva temple in every block of the state at 11am and the Hindu society there will participate in this programme. At the Yatra in Nuh, outsiders will be participating."
The CM says no, appeals residents to visit temples instead
Stressing that it is the responsibility of the government to ensure law and order, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar appealed to the people to visit the temples instead. "Instead of the yatra, people can visit temples in their areas for Jalaabhishek."
Security amped up, internet shut down
Meanwhile, the Nuh administration prepares for another Shobha Yatra called by the Jatiya Hindu Mahapanchayat, even though the police authorities denied permission. Keeping last yatra's violence in mind, as a preparatory measure, the authorities ordered the closure of educational institutions and banks on Monday, suspended mobile and internet services in the state and also imposed Section 144 to prevent any untoward incident.
The security has been amped up in all the districts, with security personnel from paramilitary forces also deployed. Strict alert has also been issued at inter-state and inter-district borders with no outsider allowed to enter Nuh. In addition, all entry points to the district have been sealed and all the roads leading to Malhar temple have also been closed.
The government also announced the suspension of mobile internet services from August 26 to August 28. Reportedly, the security arrangements include 1900 Haryana Police personnel and 24 companies of paramilitary forces.
VHT chief under house arrest
Taking no chances, and fearing the repeat of July 31 violence, the Haryana police on Monday, also detained VHT chief Viresh Shandilya before he could leave for the Nuh yatra. He has been kept under house arrest at his residence in Sector 1. With all possible precautionary measures in place and security beefed up to prevent any untowards incident from flaring up, Monday's yatra is expected to go non-violent at the least, if not completely peaceful.
However, social media was replete with communally flared up messages, posts and trolls, with many divided about whether yatra should take place without permission or whether permission should have been denied to yatra in the first place.
Congress leader Pawan Khera said, "The PM must answer how VHP can go ahead with the 'yatra' despite no permission by the administration?" Meanwhile, a few provocative posters were found on the streets with warnings in a migrant settlement in Sector 69 asking them to vacate in the name of VHP Haryana. While the outfit denied any involvement, Gurgaon Police has issued an alert.
