NUH: The Nuh administration is leaving no stone unturned to maintain law and order during the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra which will be taken out today on July 22. In light of last year’s violence, the officials have implemented heightened security measures, including the use of drones and the suspension of internet and bulk SMS services.
On the suspension of internet in Nuh on the occasion of Braj Mandal yatra, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini says, “We have alerted the officials. I want to appeal to the people that this is a religious event. We live in a society of harmony… The yatra passes through the Braj Mandal by the devotees of Lord Krishna. There should be cooperation during the yatra to make it successful…”
#WATCH | Karnal: On the suspension of internet in Nuh on the occasion of Braj Mandal yatra, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini says, "We have alerted the officials. I want to appeal to the people that this is a religious event. We live in a society of harmony… The yatra passes… https://t.co/WPerIFNQ5C pic.twitter.com/Aw4rnUJWPc
— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2024
Haryana Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Anurag Rastogi stated, “… there is an apprehension of causing tension, annoyance, agitation, damage of public and private property and disturbance of public peace and tranquility in the district Nuh.” The suspension order aims to “stop the spread of misinformation and rumours” through social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter.
Nuh SP Vijay Pratap emphasised the importance of these measures. “It has been seen earlier also that rumours are spread during such events. So, we have requested service providers to suspend internet services in the district from 6 pm today till 6 pm tomorrow. Its sole purpose is to control rumours and false propaganda,” he said.
#WATCH | Haryana: Nuh Police on high alert ahead of Brajmandal Jalabhishek Yatra, Nuh SP Vijay Pratap says, "Around 2000 security personnel have been deployed including CAPF, RAF and IRB… We are using drones, we have combed the whole route… We will also carry out a flag march… pic.twitter.com/4eI92iKP2n
— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2024
To ensure the Yatra proceeds smoothly, tight security arrangements have been put in place. The entire route will be monitored via CCTV cameras and drones. Additionally, ten inter-state and inter-district checkpoints will be established from the evening of July 21 to the evening of July 22.
All meat, fish, and poultry shops along the Yatra route will remain closed on July 22. Meat vendors have been instructed to either close their shops or relocate to alternative sites away from the procession route.
The administration’s heightened security measures follow last year’s violence during the Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra, when Islamist attackers launched a planned assault on thousands of Hindu participants. This year, the Yatra will take place amidst a large police deployment. Drones will videograph the entire procession, and special teams have been formed to monitor social media platforms. Police personnel will also be stationed in the mountains near the Nalhar Mahadev temple.
Officials confirmed that permission for the procession has been granted. However, arms, lathis, DJs, and loudspeakers are prohibited during the Shobha Yatra. Vehicles entering the district from all routes, including the Kundli–Manesar–Palwal Expressway (KMP), will be thoroughly checked.
A dedicated social media wing has been formed to flag incendiary posts, and a committee comprising both Hindu and Muslim members has been constituted. On July 22, the Jalabhishek Yatra will commence from Nuh’s Nalhar temple and culminate at Singar via Jhirka’s Jhir Mandir in Ferozepur amid heavy police deployment.
Nuh Deputy Commissioner Dhirendra Khadgata stated that three drones have been deployed. “Around 1,600 police officers will be deployed on the day of the Yatra, and one company of RAF (Rapid Action Force) and IRB (Indian Reserve Battalion) are also in place in case of an exigency,” he said.
Gurugram South DCP Sidhant Jain mentioned that a social media cell comprising four officers has been tasked with monitoring online content to flag any incendiary posts and take necessary action. He added, “We have also appealed to the people in the area not to participate in the procession and to pray at their local temples. However, no restriction has been placed on any community in Gurugram.”
DC Khadgata said, “We have 100 volunteers who will help police with the coordination of the movement along the Yatra. Thorough checking will be in place to crack down on contraband or any weapon.”
Ahead of the Yatra, police filed an FIR against two persons, a minor and a lawyer, earlier this month. Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra committee convenor Surender Singh stated, “Around 8,000 devotees from Haryana and its neighbouring districts are expected to take part in the day-long procession, which will begin with the ritual bathing of the Shiva idol at Nalhar temple and culminate at the Radha Krishna temple in Singar village in Punhana. It will also halt at a Shiva temple in Ferozepur Jhirka on the way.”
Singh added, “Besides the devotees from outside Nuh, 2,000 local devotees are also expected to turn up at each of the three temples. Around 50 prominent saints will also join the procession.”
Reflecting on last year’s violence, when Islamists launched a planned attack on Hindu participants, the Nuh administration has taken extensive measures to ensure the Yatra’s safety. During the previous Yatra, several vehicles were torched, stones were pelted, and indiscriminate firing occurred, leading to clashes and communal tensions in Nuh, a Muslim-majority region.
What is Brijmandal Shobha yatra?
Since Mewat has remained the hotbed of Islamic conversion and gave birth to ‘Tabiligi Jamaat’. Over the period, Hindus from different communities kept converting be it for a certain kind of allurement or for some other political or local pressure. Even the police were forced to work under pressure in the region.
Considering the decline in Hindus and rising Islamic radicalisation, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad decided to take out a procession, the ‘Brij Mandal Shobha Yatra’ wherein they decided to visit the temples in the Mewat region that are losing significance. The Yatra started three years ago. The Yatra is also called as Mewat Darshan Yatra.
As per the reports, the Yatra starts from Sohna where thousands of people enter Mewat. The journey begins by doing Jal Abhishek in the Nalhard temple, later they move to Jhirkeshwar Mahadev and then the devotees travel to the village Shrigar. In the village, they visit the Shrigar Radha Krishna temple and finally move to Shringeshwar Mahadev.
All these temples date back to the Pandav era and they were losing significance as Hindu devotees were afraid of visiting an Islamic region like Mewat
Nuh Shobha Yatra violence
On July 31, an Islamist mob pelted stones at a Hindu religious procession in Haryana’s Nuh district. The devotees gathered to attend the procession, which covered temples in the district. Many media reports have revealed that the attack was pre-planned, as the locals were angry over a cow vigilante joining the procession. The other trigger point is assumed to be the state government’s action against cow smugglers.
It is noteworthy that while searching documents relating to the violence, Organiser accessed as many as fifteen FIRs where the victims revealed the horrors of the day. Some said attackers were chanting Pakistan Zindabad and Allah Hu Akbar slogans.
The Outsiders role
In one such FIR, Organiser found that the miscreants who opened fire at the police officials and attacked them had their number plates from Rajasthan.
Readers should know that the region of Mewat, which takes its name after the dominant Meo jati, is spread across Nuh in Haryana, and Alwar and Bharatpur districts of Rajasthan, besides some parts of Uttar Pradesh such as Mathura. The Meo Jati, whose members claim Rajput ancestry, have almost been wholly Islamised. The region is a hub of crimes, the most prominent being cow slaughter, beef trade, and cyber fraud.
Apart from the preparations that were going on for days for the attack, the outsider’s role can also be tracked. The details in the statement confirm that the local Meo’s were not alone in the attack and were accompanied by people from Rajasthan.
