A man died and a mosque was torched in Gurugram’s Sector 57 area as a result of an attack on the place of worship, taking the death toll in the violence that broke out over an attempt to stop a Vishva Hindu Parishad rally in Nuh district to five, news agency PTI quoted police as saying on Tuesday. The large mob fired shots and pelted stones inside the mosque in which two people were hurt. One of them was stabbed who succumbed to his injuries during treatment. The deceased has been identified as the imam of the mosque, Saad (22), a native of Bihar. The other injured has been identified as Khurshid (35).
The incident happened around 12.30 am in the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. “One person was killed and another injured when a group of men attacked the religious place in the area of police station Sector 56. Several fire tenders were dispatched to put out the fire,” news agency IANS quoted Deputy Commissioner of Police (East), Nitish Aggarwal as saying.
“The attackers have been identified by the police and raids were conducted throughout the night, several of the attackers have been rounded up,” the DCP said. He further said the security around the places of worship has been tightened in Gurugram. Officials from the police and administration are holding meetings with prominent members of both communities to ensure peace. Internet services were suspended in Sohna, Pataudi and Manesar areas, he said.
Nuh district is under curfew, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij said and added that the situation is under control. There was no fresh violence in Nuh on Tuesday, but the atmosphere was tense. More security forces were deployed in Nuh and nearby areas, officials said. Two home guards died and many others, including several policemen, were hurt in Nuh on Monday. Two more people died of their injuries on Tuesday.
Vij told reporters in Ambala that the incident in Nuh does not look like a spontaneous one. “The scale of violence that happened and at different locations, the way stones were piled up, weapons shown, shots fired, it does not look like it happened all of a sudden,” said Vij.
He said both communities live peacefully there and someone who wanted to disturb peace in the state and the country orchestrated or masterminded the incident. He said his main goal is to control the situation and keep peace. He said he has asked the officials to probe the incident thoroughly.
“After investigation, whoever is found guilty, will not be spared,” he said. The Haryana minister said that forces from neighbouring Palwal, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Jhajjar and Rewari districts were sent after violence broke out in Nuh. “Today forces from other parts of Haryana are being sent,” he said. Vij also said he has spoken to Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and the state has been given 20 companies of central forces. If there is a need to airlift forces from any distant place, the Indian Air Force has been asked to be ready.
Some companies of central forces have already reached Nuh, he also said and added that an alert has been issued in other districts as well.
To a question on the dead, Vij said two home guards were killed and many police personnel suffered injuries. He said 15 people were brought to the medical college in Nalhar while one was brought dead. He is yet to be identified. Three police personnel who suffered gunshot wounds are on ventilator support.
Vij added that several people were trapped in a temple. A team led by Additional Director General of Police Mamta Singh rescued them.
Opposition leaders have criticised the BJP-led Haryana government for the “severe communal tension” in Nuh. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday said “strictest action” will be taken against those responsible for the incident.
