Following Yogi Model? Haryana Govt Demolishes 250 Shanties Of Bangladeshi Immigrants Near Violence-Hit Nuh

The Haryana government on Thursday (3 August) evening demolished shanties of immigrants residing in Tauru, situated about 20 km away from the violence-affected Nuh area.

The demolition was carried out on the grounds of encroaching on government land. However, this move is also perceived as action against alleged rioters, as both the district administration and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had earlier accused immigrants of involvement in the clashes.

The immigrants from Bangladesh, who were previously residing in Assam, had allegedly established these shanties on Haryana Urban Authority land in ward number one along Mohammadpur road in Tauru town, Nuh district.

More than 250 shanties were constructed on approximately one acre of land, and they had reportedly been living there for the past four years.

The bulldozer action was carried out amidst tight security with heavy police and paramilitary deployment in anticipation of potential disturbances. Various government departments' officers were also present during the demolition.

It has been alleged by the police and administration that "outsiders," including suspected infiltrators, were involved in the attack on the VHP procession, which likely triggered the clashes.

Two days prior, Chief Minister Khattar had indicated that similar bulldozer actions would be taken in Haryana, following the model of Yogi Adityanath's Uttar Pradesh.

In a separate incident on Wednesday night, there was an attempted vandalism of two mosques in Tauru.

Due to the ongoing tension, Friday prayers (jumma namaz) will not be held in Gurugram mosques this week. Muslim religious leaders have requested people to pray from their homes.

In the wake of the communal clashes that resulted in the deaths of six people, including two home guards and a cleric, in Nuh and Gurugram, Nuh Superintendent of Police Varun Singla, who was on pre-approved leave during the clashes, was transferred to another district.

IPS officer Narendra Bijarniya, who had previously led the police force in the district from February 2020 to October 2021, has been appointed in his place.

Authorities have made 176 arrests and detained over 90 people in connection with the clashes. 41 cases have been registered so far.

Mobile internet and SMS services, which had been suspended in Nuh district since Monday at 4 pm, will be restored today from 12 pm to 3 pm to allow people to purchase essentials.

The police have filed seven First Information Reports (FIRs) for incendiary social media posts and are examining 2,300 videos. They have also identified three accounts that posted inflammatory content on the day of the clashes.