Uttam Nagar case: Threats emerge against Muslims ahead of Eid

Hastsal Village in Uttam Nagar has been on the edge following the killing of 26-year-old Tarun Kumar during clashes on Holi.

Days after a 26-year-old man was killed in a clash between two families during Holi celebrations in Uttam Nagar’s Hastsal Village, videos have surfaced on social media showing individuals making provocative speeches and issuing threats of violence against Muslims in the locality, including warnings ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr next week.

People in large numbers gather during the "Virat Aakrosh Sabha" called by the United Hindu Front over the death of Tarun (25), due to an alleged fight during Holi at Uttam Nagar, in New Delhi on Sunday. (Mohan Lal)

Delhi Police have barricaded the entire Hastsal Village area, with each lane “covered” by temporary barricades guarded by a policeman. However, as of Monday, no FIR has been lodged against those issuing threats, and police officials are yet to take action against any video creators.

Deputy commissioner of police (Dwarka) Kushal Pal Singh did not respond to queries seeking comment on the multiple protests, videos, and threats.

A senior police officer, speaking anonymously, told HT: “We have barricaded the area and protesters are removed if they try to enter the village or raise communal slogans. As of now, we are verifying these videos. Some of the people in the videos are not from Delhi.”

Locals said groups of protesters have visited the locality nearly every day chanting slogans such as “Desh ke gaddaro ko…goli maaro saalo ko (Shoot those who are traitors)” and “Jihadi murdabad.”

At a protest staged outside the JJ colony in Uttam Nagar on Sunday, posts on X showed people shouting slogans. Delhi Police officials confirmed that the protest took place outside Swami Ayyappa Park in Uttam Nagar. In a 54-second video from the protest, shared on X on Monday, a protester can be heard saying: “I just need 5 minutes. If police remove these barricades, we will show what we can do. Everything will be over.”

In another 35-second video posted on Sunday, another man (from the same protest) says: “During Eid, we will cut pigs and throw them in front of their houses. We will ensure they chant Jai Shri Ram. All 25 of them should be ‘encountered’.”

On Monday, a social media user, holding a knife, posted a 30-second video on Instagram. “If you want to save yourselves, give Tarun justice. Otherwise, neither Delhi Police nor Delhi CM Rekha Gupta will survive. And keep in mind, Haryana CM wants surgical strike… We will slaughter them.”.

None of these posts have been removed as of late Monday evening.

Meanwhile, in west Delhi’s Tilak Nagar, Bajrang Dal held a protest Sunday demanding hanging of all accused. Member Atul Arora told HT: “We want them to be hanged. They can freely kill our children but it is not fair that nothing will happen to them. If they continue to ruin our festivals, we will also retaliate.”

In Pul Prahladpur, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) staged a protest Monday. VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal said: “In Delhi, there’s a rise of Islamic Jihadis… They have to be stopped now. I have seen records from past 10 years. More than 64 innocent people have been killed by jihadis in Delhi itself.”

Vishnu Gupta of Hindu Sena said: “If police takes no action, they will keep attacking innocent Hindus. All their houses need to be demolished.”

A local resident of Hastsal Village told HT: “They keep chanting inflammatory slogans outside our houses. We can’t even leave our lane. Police are here but these men come and threaten us every day. Will they not allow us to celebrate Eid? The fight was between two families. What have we done?”

The initial clashes occurred March 4 when an 11-year-old girl threw a water balloon that hit a Muslim woman, triggering an altercation. Tarun Kumar, 26, succumbed to injuries four days later. Police have arrested 14 people and apprehended two minors in connection with the case.