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At mahapanchayat in Manesar, a warning for Rajasthan police: Arrest Monu at own risk

Amid reports that a Rajasthan police team was conducting a raid at Monu's residence in Manesar, several panchayat members blocked both the carriageways of Delhi-Gurgaon national highway for a few minutes before local police and panchayat members intervened and opened the traffic.

"If Rajasthan police sets feet in Manesar to arrest Monu, they will not return on the same feet. If Monu is arrested, we will block the highway. Giraftarian denge, jail choti pad jayegi," said Neelam, a member of gau raksha dal from Pataudi. (Express photo by Pavneet Singh Chadha)

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At mahapanchayat in Manesar, a warning for Rajasthan police: Arrest Monu at own risk

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A ‘Hindu Mahapanchayat’ organised in support of Monu Manesar, named in an FIR filed in connection with the death of two men from Rajasthan, termed the case a “conspiracy” against gau rakshaks and called for a CBI probe.

At the event, which saw over 80 locals, including members of Bajrang Dal and VHP, several speakers issued a stern warning to Rajasthan Police against arresting Monu, a Bajrang Dal member and face of the cow protection task force of the Haryana government in Gurgaon.

Addressing the gathering, Kulbhushan Bhardwaj, ex-president of the district bar association in Gurgaon who had led the protests against namaz and one of the organisers of the panchayat, said, “This case is not just against Monu and his associates. (It) has been filed against entire Hindu society… in this (false) case, if Rajasthan police harasses our associates or their families, they should clearly listen… ye Rajasthan police iss maamle mein aegi toh apne paaon se, lekin wapis apne paaon se nahi jaa paegi (If Rajasthan police set foot in Manesar to arrest Monu, they will not return the same way).”

Amid reports that a Rajasthan Police team was conducting a raid at Monu’s home, several members blocked both carriageways of the Delhi-Gurgaon highway for a few minutes before local police and some panchayat members stepped in. Harinder Kumar, ACP Pataudi, said, “We received no such information of a raid being conducted by police from another state in the area.”

Devender Singh, general secretary, VHP Manesar, among the main organisers, said the panchayat decided that the case against Monu and his team is baseless. “The Rajasthan government is framing cow vigilantes as part of a conspiracy and to appease a specific community. We heard some agencies are conducting illegal raids and harassing families of those named in the complaint. During the panchayat, information was received of a raid at Manesar. It is a sensitive issue and due to anger among some panchayat attendees, they blocked the road, but there was no such call from the panchayat to do so,” he said.

Om Prakash from Manesar demanded that the arms licences of gau rakshaks are not cancelled and security be provided to the vigilantes. (Express photo by Pavneet Singh Chadha)

Monu’s relative, Vijay, said, “Two policemen had come on a motorcycle to our house. One was in police uniform. They enquired about Monu and when I asked them the purpose of the visit, they said it’s related to his arms licence. They then left.”

Speakers also claimed a false FIR had been registered against Monu since he and his team were working to break “the nexus of cattle smuggling and mafia”.

“… Gau mata ki raksha karne waqt chahe hamari jaan chali jaaye, aur chahe saamne wale ki jaan leni pad jaae, hum peeche hatne wale nhi hai kisi se (While protecting cows, if we have to lose our life or if we have to take the life of those opposing us… we are not going to back down). If atrocities against gau mata (cow) continue… Hindu society is not going to sit quietly….,” said Bhardwaj.

Neelam, a Gau Raksha Dal member from Pataudi, added: “If the FIR is not quashed and Monu is arrested, we will block the highway. Giraftarian denge, jail choti pad jayegi (we will get arrested en masse and fill their jails).”

Om Prakash from Manesar demanded that arms licences of gau rakshaks are not cancelled and security be provided to the vigilantes: “To hide their own inefficiencies, the government and police first provided these arms licences to gau rakshaks. Now, the government is talking of cancelling arms licences. This is wrong. These vigilantes are protecting the Hindu religion and gau mata.

At this time, when this nexus of cattle smugglers is targeting Monu and his team, they need these arms licences and weapons.”