Letters purportedly written by some panchayat heads in Haryana’s Mahendergarh, Rewari and Jhajjar districts “banning” Muslim traders from their villages have surfaced online, amid communal tension in parts of the state. The almost identical letters cite the violence in Nuh district on July 31, when mobs attacked a VHP procession.

However, many sarpanches in Mahendergarh and Rewari denied having issued any such letters making a reference to a particular community. District authorities said they have taken note of the letters online and are investigating the matter.