Attack on VHP procession in Nuh seems to be part of big conspiracy: ML Khattar

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday said the attack on a VHP procession in Nuh seems to be part of a big conspiracy and asserted that strict action will be taken against the culprits.

Five people have been killed in the violence that erupted on Monday. Four people, including two home guards, died and many others injured in Nuh, where mobs tried to stop a Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) procession, while a naib imam was killed at a mosque in Gurugram.

Khattar's remarks came hours after Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij said someone who wanted to disturb the peace in the state engineered the violence in Nuh.

On Tuesday, authorities imposed a curfew in the district after the previous day's violence.

Chief Minister Khattar on Tuesday afternoon held a meeting here with Vij and senior officials, including the chief secretary, to take stock of the situation. Senior police officers, including the DGP, joined the meeting virtually.

According to an official statement, Khattar said that every year, the 'Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra' used to be taken out. This year too, this Yatra was being taken out when the incidents occurred at around 2 pm on Monday, he said.

Some people hatched a conspiracy and attacked the procession, Khattar said, adding police personnel were also attacked.

"Definitely, it looks like part of a big conspiracy," the CM said.

So far, 44 FIRs have been registered and 70 people taken into custody.

After investigations, strict action will be taken against all those found involved in the violence, he said.

Anyone who has indulged in this arson will not be spared, he said.

After the incident, Khattar had dispatched the DGP, ADGP (CID) and ADGP (law and order) to Nuh while police force from neighbouring districts was rushed and the Centre was requested to send additional forces, the statement said.

Sixteen companies of central forces and 30 companies of Haryana Police also reached Nuh and the situation in the district was normalised, said the CM.

In neighbouring areas, including Gurugram, Palwal and Faridabad, some incidents of violence were reported and peace has been established now, the statement said.

As a precautionary measure, curfew has been imposed (in Nuh) and Section 144 clamped in some of the adjoining districts, Khattar said.

He again appealed to all to cooperate and help maintain peace, saying what happened in Nuh on Monday was unfortunate.

Earlier in the day, Home Minister Vij had said the incident in Nuh does not appear to have happened all of a sudden.

"The level of violence that took place and also occurred at different points, the way stones were collected, the way weapons were brandished, the way shots were fired, it does not appear to have happened all of a sudden," Vij told reporters in Ambala.  Both the communities live peacefully there, he said.

Somebody who wanted to disturb peace in the state and the country engineered or masterminded this incident, claimed Vij.