Four days after hinting at a conspiracy behind the July 31 violence in Nuh, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij has said it was “pre-planned”. He also rejected the Rajasthan chief minister’s allegation of non-cooperation in efforts to arrest Monu Manesar, the self-styled gau rakshak wanted in the neighbouring state. “Bullets were fired from the mountains, stones were collected on the terraces and fronts were made. Information about all these things is being collected and action will be taken,” Vij said Friday. “Action will be taken against in any case registered in connection with the Nuh violence, be it using the bulldozers too, if need be. People’s statements are being recorded and CCTV footage is being scanned. If any person from the public also has made some video on mobile, he or she should also come forward and provide us with those videos.,” he said. He also urged journalists to share with police the video footage and pictures they have. The minister said he had ordered a thorough investigation into the intelligence inputs received before the violence. The investigation would look into who received the inputs, who was informed about them, and what action was taken. The investigation would also look into a police inspector’s claim that he had sent a video about the violence to the additional chief secretary. ‘Monu Manesar will be caught at any cost’ On Ashok Gehlot’s allegation of non-cooperation, the minister said nobody had prevented the Rajasthan police from coming to Haryana to arrest Monu Manesar. “We have never stopped anyone. He is their culprit. The Haryana police go to the other states to arrest culprits. Everyone cooperates, we will also cooperate,” he said, adding that politics should not be played over the dead bodies of people. “He will be caught at any cost and he will be punished for the crime he has committed.” ‘202 arrests on 102 FIRs, 80 others detained’ Vij said that so far, the police had registered 102 FIRs related to the violence that erupted during a Vishwa Hindu Parishad procession. He added that 202 people had been arrested and 80 others detained for questioning. “The police are working on the principle that the innocent should not be punished and the guilty should not be spared. That is why action has to be taken after collecting solid evidence. Not a single culprit will be spared,” Vij told reporters. The home minister also announced that IPS officer Narendra Bijarniya, who was holding additional charge of Nuh, would be the new superintendent of police. IPS officer Varun Singla, who was on leave when the communal clashes broke out in the district, has been transferred. “Bijarniya had earlier served as SP in Nuh for a couple of years,” he said. Curfew and internet The minister also said the curfew in Nuh was being relaxed from time to time and that the internet would be restored as soon as possible. “All the methods are being adopted for restoration of peace. Meetings of peace committees are being held. We do not want to stop anyone from performing religious rituals, but no one should take law into their hands,” he said. Vij said that he had spoken to the deputy commissioners of Nuh, Faridabad and Gurugram to ensure adequate security arrangements for Friday prayers. He also had a discussion with the chief secretary about ensuring peace in other parts of the state where the namaz was being offered. He said that government officials talked to Muslim clerics, appealing to them to offer prayers at home. “Adequate police deployment was made,” he added. The minister said that a committee has been formed to monitor social media. It is headed by the special secretary of the home department, and includes an officer from the IT cell. If anyone posts provocative content on social media, they will be subject to legal action., he added. Vij also said the attack on the cyber police station and the way files had been damaged during the violence would be investigated. “Nuh was becoming the new Jamtara (a Jharkhand city infamous for cyber scamsters). Thus, in April, a house-to-house search was conducted with 5,000 police personnel. Many laptops, several thousand SIM cards and ATM cards were found there, on which action was also taken..,” he added.
