Last Updated: August 27, 2023, 20:22 IST
Nuh violence: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said state is prepared to handle any untoward situation. (File pic/PTI)
Nuh violence: VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain said the yatra would be taken out by the Sarva Hindu Samaj of Mewat
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday asked the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal to not hold their proposed Jalabhishek Yatra in Nuh on Monday in view of any possible violence-like situation. The chief minister urged devotees in Nuh and the adjoining districts to perform prayer in their nearby local temples instead.
Speaking to HT about the yatra, CM Khattar said, “Since there was a law-and-order situation during the yatra last month, permission to carry this yatra was not given. The authorities have already appealed to the organisers and devotees to avoid such a yatra again and urged them that instead of taking out this yatra, they could perform poojas in local temples, which is a routine practice during the month of Sawan.”
The chief minister’s statement comes hours after VHP asserted that several Hindu groups would go ahead with its procession in Haryana’s Nuh on Monday despite the district administration’s denial.
VHP Says Yatra Would Be Taken Out on August 28
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Saturday said the “shobha yatra” would be taken out in Nuh on August 28 and asserted there was no need to obtain permission from the administration for such religious events.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi, VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain said the yatra would be taken out by the Sarva Hindu Samaj of Mewat, not the VHP.
He also appealed to people from other areas of Haryana to take out similar yantras in their respective localities and not join the one in Mewat.
Nuh: Security Tightens Amid Reports Religious Rally
Meanwhile, authorities have ordered educational institutions and banks to be closed in Nuh on Monday given any possible violence. The police have also deployed drones to monitor the movement of locals at the rally.
The administration has also put out orders to suspend mobile Internet and bulk SMS services along with the imposition of other prohibitory orders in the communally-sensitive district for August 28, where several Hindu groups are planning to carry out a religious procession.
Haryana Director General of Police Shatrujeet Kapur said the administration has denied permission for the yatra due to a meeting of the G20 Sherpa Group, scheduled to be held in Nuh during September 3-7, and to maintain law and order in the aftermath of the July 31 violence.
Haryana Police Urges locals to avoid Jalabhisek Yatra in Nuh
Haryana Police also urged people to not take part in any public procession on August 28 to avoid any possible tension in the district and clarified that permission has been denied for any such event.
“Permission has not been granted by district administration Nuh for Jalabhishek Yatra in district Nuh on 28/08/2023 and hence all are requested not to proceed towards Nuh for the Yatra,” Haryana Police posted on X.
Nuh violence
Clashes broke out between two groups in Haryana’s Nuh on July 31 after a VHP procession was attacked by a mob. Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, were killed in the communal clashes that erupted in Nuh and its adjoining areas.