Haryana communal clashes: HM Vij defends cow vigilante evading police since he was charged with murder of two Muslims

File Photo/Twitter

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday defended cow vigilante and Bajrang Dal member Monu Manesar and said that "he just asked people to come for yatra".

Manesar had posted a video a few days ago, claiming he would attend the Nuh religious procession and appealed to people to come out in large numbers. He was later reportedly warned on social media to stay away.

News agency PTI quoted Monu Manesar as saying that he did not participate in the gathering on the advice of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, which feared that his presence would create tension.

Manesar, 30, has evaded the police since he was charged with the kidnapping and murder of two Muslim men found dead in a burnt car in February in Bhiwani.

The charred bodies of cattle traders Junaid and Nasir were found in a burnt car in Bhiwani. Their families in Rajasthan's Bharatpur alleged they were beaten and killed by members of the Bajrang Dal; the group denies any involvement in the crime.

Fresh violence erupted in Gurugram's Badshahpur on Tuesday, a day after communal clashes broke out in Haryana's Nuh. Fourteen shops were vandalised in the main market as nearly 200 men on motorbikes and SUVs targeted outlets, mostly selling biryani and other food stalls. In Sector 66, seven stores were set ablaze.

Meanwhile, the home minister said that Manesar did not incite riots. "I saw his video and nowhere he asks people to do riots. He asks people to participate in yatra," he said.

Also read: Police probing role of gau rakshak and Bajrang Dal member Monu Manesar in Haryana communal clashes, says DGP

The riots broke out after the procession was participating through Muslim-dominated areas, the participants chanted slogans in support of Manesar.

Manesar's videos went viral on social media wherein he was seen challenging the system and asking people to reach Gurugram, Sohna and Mewat.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has said six people, including two home guards, have died in the communal violence in the state while 116 have been arrested.

He said that stray incidents of violence reported elsewhere after the Nuh clashes have been brought under control and the situation has become normal now.

The injured have been admitted to various hospitals, including at Nalhar in Nuh and Medanta in Gurugram, the Haryana chief minister said, adding that 116 people have been arrested while a search was on to nab the other accused. (With inputs from agencies)