Nuh violence by Muslim mob during VHP religious procession: Two home guards killed, hundreds of Hindus rescued from Nalhar temple

Two home guards have been killed in the violence unleashed by a Muslim mob in the Nuh area of Haryana during a VHP religious procession. A police statement said that 2 home guards have been killed in the shooting, and several others have been seriously injured. Reports indicated that at least 20 police personnel have been injured in the Islamist violence.

The deputy superintendent of police (DSP) in Nuh also reportedly suffered a head injury during the incident.

नूंह-मेवात के दंगों में 2 होमगार्ड के जवानों की मौत हुयी और सात पुलिसकर्मी घायल हुये। pic.twitter.com/wu0Augzb3h

— Jitender Sharma (@capt_ivane) July 31, 2023

It is also being reported that hundreds of Hindus including men, women and children have been rescued from the Nalhar temple where they were hiding to save themselves from the Islamist mob. It was earlier reported that anywhere between 2000 to 4000 Hindus had taken shelter in temples of Nuh to save themselves from the violence unleashed by the Muslim mob.

During the violence, stones were pelted and several cars were set on fire. Police, which initially tried to disperse the mob using teargas shells and by firing shots in the air, had to call in reinforcements. ADGP (Law and Order) Mamta Singh later went with additional forces to try to rescue the people who took shelter at Nalhar temple in Nuh.

Vehicles were burnt and stones pelted at the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s shobha yatra as clashes erupted between two communities in the Muslim-majority region of Mewat in Haryana.

Tensions escalated in Haryana’s Mewat region following an incident on Monday where stones were thrown at the Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Religious Mewat Yatra. According to reports, individuals from a minority community attacked one of the vehicles in the religious procession. In response, the police intervened, using teargas shells to disperse the crowds and calling for reinforcements from neighbouring areas as both sides engaged in stone-throwing. 

The situation created an atmosphere of anxiety in the area, leading to the restriction of internet services and the imposition of Section 144. To address the situation, the Nuh Deputy Commissioner scheduled a meeting with both parties on Monday at 8:30 pm.

“In order to stop the spread of misinformation and rumours through various social media platforms, for facilitation and mobilisation of mobs of agitators who can cause serious loss of life and damage to public and private properties by indulging in arson or vandalism and other types of violent activities, I, Home Secretary, Haryana do hereby order the suspension of the mobile internet services in the jurisdiction of district Nuh in the state of Haryana and shall be in force w.e.f. 31.07.2023 (16:00hrs) to 02.08.2023 (23:59 hrs),” the order read.

According to the police, the Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra encountered a roadblock near Khedla Mod in Nuh, where a group of young men halted the procession and started throwing stones at it. An official stated that “one or two cars” within the procession were set ablaze during the incident. Reports further mentioned that individuals participating in the yatra retaliated by pelting stones back at the youths who had obstructed their path.

Notably, an exclusive report published by The Pamphlet said that the violence witnessed during the VHP rally in Nuh on Monday, July 31, was preplanned. The report stated that the location of the rally was live-tweeted even as miscreants remained prepared to disturb communal harmony and stir violence.

The yatra, which was inaugurated earlier at Gurugram’s Civil Lines by BJP district president Gargi Kakkar, was accompanied by a police contingent. During the procession, some individuals sustained injuries, but the exact number was not immediately available, according to the police’s statement.

After the stone-pelting incident that occurred approximately 2 km from the temple, Nuh SHO Hukam Singh reassured that the situation in the area has stabilized. In response to the attack, workers of Vishwa Hindu Parishad also retaliated by pelting stones back at the assailants.

Speaking to OpIndia, the VHP leader present in Nuh when the violence erupted shared details about the attack on the religious yatra. He alleged that it was a pre-planned attack and the mob had collected stones two days prior to the Shobha Yatra. He added that the mob had a clear intention of attacking Hindus during the religious procession.