Haryana: Mahapanchayat in Nuh today to take call on resuming yatra

The Sarv Hindu Samaj plans to resume the Brajmandal Dharmik Yatra on 28 August, following clashes and stone pelting on 31 July

The Sarv Hindu Samaj, a community group, has called for a maha panchayat in Nuh on Sunday near a village on Nuh-Palwal border to discuss the preparations for resuming the Brajmandal Dharmik Yatra, which was disrupted on July 31 after stone pelting and clashes.

Six people were killed and 88 others were injured after communal violence erupted in Nuh on July 31. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

Leaders of the group said on Saturday that they plan to resume the procession on August 28 from Nalhar village in Nuh,.

Members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal will also take part in the panchayat at Pondri-Kira border village, they said.

Pondri falls under Palwal and Kira falls under Nuh district.

arrested by Gurguram Police over X post on Nuh violence

The organisers shared posters on various social media platforms announcing the mahapanchayat. “The yatra is reportedly being organised to boost the confidence of Hindus,” said the poster, which also mentions the violence during the July 31 yatra following which six people were killed and 88 others injured.

Both Nuh and Palwal superintendents of police said that they have denied permission for holding the maha panchayat.

Narender Bijarniya, Nuh superintendent of police, said they denied permission to Hindu outfits for holding the maha panchayat in view of law and order situation. “The situation in the district is under control and teams are deployed across the district ,but we are ensuring that people are not allowed to assemble for any meetings,” he said.

Lokender Singh, Palwal superintendent of police, said that they received a request for holding the maha panchayat, but have denied permission. “We are analysing the situation in the district and collecting information to ensure there is no security threat,” he said.

The yatra is an annual affair but this year, Nuh residents were angered by reports that Monu Manesar, a cow vigilante wanted for the lynching of two Muslim men, Junaid and Nasir, in February this year, would be attending the event.

In a video shared days before the yatra, Manesar said he would join the procession.

According to police, some Muslims in the area mobilised reinforcements from Rajasthan and also guns, stones, and bottles to attack the procession, which was also a show of strength with at least some of the marchers also armed with guns and swords.

Questions have been asked of the administration over its intelligence lapses that resulted in it being taken by surprise when the violence broke out, as well as its tardy response.

Arun Jaildar, one of the organisers of the maha panchayat, said people who were attacked on July 31 are traumatised. “We took shelter in the Nalhar temple and were rescued after six hours . The men who targeted us while we were offering prayers are still roaming freely, and only a bunch of them are behind bars. We want action against all who were involved in the attack,” he said.

Kulbhushan Bhardwaj, a member of Bajrang Dal, said they have invited their counterparts from at least 50 districts in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Rajasthan to take part in the event.

“Two of our men were killed by the Muslim community who came well prepared to attack us. We have given a compensation of ₹4.50 lakh each to the families of the deceased,” he said.

Bhardwaj said at 15,000 people are expected to participate in the procession.