Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on August 2 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 and a search is on to nab the other accused.

“The conspirators are being identified,” Mr. Khattar said, while promising strict action against the guilty and asserting that the security of common people “is our responsibility”.

Pradeep Sharma, co-ordinator, Bajrang Dal, Badshapur, succumbed to injuries at Delhi’s Safdarjang Hospital during treatment. Nearly 30 companies of Haryana Police and 20 CAPF companies have been deployed across the State.

An SIT will be formed to investigate the cases of communal violence in Haryana and the role of Bajrang Dal member Monu Manesar in the clashes is being probed, Haryana police chief P.K. Agrawal said on August 2.

In view of the communal violence in various parts of Haryana, the Delhi Police said on August 2 that it has increased security in sensitive areas of the city to deal with any law and order situation.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (PRO) Sunam Nalwa said, “keeping in view of the violence in some districts of Haryana adjoining Delhi, elaborate security arrangements have been made at all sensitive places in Delhi and additional police forces have also been deployed where necessary. Any attempt to harm Delhi’s security and communal harmony will be dealt with strictly.”

Earlier on Tuesday (August 1), a mob attacked a mosque in Gurugram and killed its naib imam, taking the toll in the violence that erupted over an attempt to stop a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession in Nuh district to five, police said.

Authorities imposed a curfew in Nuh where many others were injured, as Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij claimed that the violence was “engineered”.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday said the Rajasthan Police is free to act against Bajrang Dal member Monu Manesar, booked in the February killing of two Muslim men and accused by some to be a trigger for the Nuh violence.

Mr. Khattar reminded that the last case against Manesar, a cow vigilante, was lodged by the Rajasthan Police.

At a press conference in Chandigarh, the chief minister while fielding questions on the communal violence in Nuh and Gurguram said, “The Rajasthan Police was looking for Monu Manesar. We do not have any input where he is now. The Rajasthan Police is free to act against him.” Mr.Khattar also said his government will provide any assistance they (Rajasthan Police) require to nab Manesar.

There were reports that Manesar, 30, was supposed to join the Vishva Hindu Parishad procession that was attacked in the Muslim-dominated Nuh on Monday.

A video of Manesar that he would join the Brij Mandal Jalabhishek procession in Nuh was widely circulated on social media.

Asked if that video could have instigated some people, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij said, “I have seen that video, nowhere is he instigating people to riot…he is asking people to join the yatra.” Answering a query at a presser, state police chief P.K. Agrawal said on Wednesday an SIT will be formed to investigate the cases of communal violence in Haryana and the role of Manesar in the clashes is being probed

Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh said it is a matter of inquiry as to how members of both communities involved in communal violence in Haryana’s Nuh were in possession of weapons.

The Gurgaon MP was speaking to reporters after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mr. Singh, however, said that his meeting with Mr. Modi was for extending an invitation to the prime minister for inaugurating several development projects, including an AIIMS, in the state.

Nuh is part of the Gurgaon Lok Sabha constituency.

Asked if he also discussed the Nuh violence with him, Mr. Singh said several matters are discussed when one meets the prime minister. “Everything is not meant to be shared with the media,” he said.

To a question about the violence, he said both communities (Hindus and Muslims) were in possession of weapons, citing videos of the riot.

“This is a matter of probe as to how they got possession of these weapons and how such an atmosphere was created,” he said, noting that the Haryana government is carrying out the investigation. 

Mobile internet services will remain suspended in four tehsils of Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district till Thursday morning in view of the violence in Haryana’s Nuh district, officials said.

Prohibitory orders were imposed in two areas of Bharatpur and 10 areas of Alwar district in Rajasthan, they said. Both Alwar and Bharatpur share border with Nuh district in Haryana where communal violence erupted on Monday.

Bharatpur District Collector Lok Bandhu said mobile internet services have been suspended till 6 a.m. on Thursday in Sikri, Pahadi, Kaman, Nagar in Bharatpur. On the other hand, prohibitory orders have been imposed in Kaman and Pahadi, banning any kind of procession or rally in these areas.

He said security force has been deployed at the Bhatarpur-Haryana border where every vehicle is being checked. 

An alert has been sounded in Saharanpur, Shamli and Muzaffarnagar districts of Uttar Pradesh bordering Haryana in the wake of communal violence in the neighbouring state, a senior police official said on Wednesday.

Checking is also being conducted in areas along the Haryana-Uttar Pradesh border to keep an eye on anarchic elements, Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Saharanpur Range, Ajay Kumar Sahni told PTI.

“Police of both states are coordinating with each other,” he said. 

Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala has said that the organisers of the religious procession – which was attacked in Nuh by a mob – did not give a proper estimation of the expected turnout to the district administration, a lapse which may have led to the violence.

Such an incident has never occurred in the history of the state, he said.

Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, have so far died in the communal clashes which were sparked on Monday in the Nuh district and soon spread to neighbouring Gurugram.

Speaking to reporters in Delhi on Tuesday, Mr. Chautala said strict action will be taken against the culprits of the violence.

He said paramilitary forces have been deployed and the security has been tightened.

“… the organisers of the Yatra had not given proper estimation to the district administration about the crowd participating in the event. Lack of this information somewhere or the other appears to have led to the incident,” said Mr. Chautala.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had on Tuesday termed the violence in Nuh “unfortunate” and called the attack on a VHP procession “well-planned which points to a larger conspiracy.” Mr. Chautala urged the people to maintain peace and harmony in the state.

He said police were investigating the matter and situation was peaceful in Haryana.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday sought four more companies of central forces in the wake of communal clashes in the state and said one battalion of the IRB will also be deployed in Nuh. Twenty companies of central forces are already deployed in Haryana, 14 of them in Nuh, three in Palwal, two in Gurugram and one in Faridabad, he told a press conference. The chief minister asserted that those found responsible for the clashes will not be spared.

Six people have died so far in the violence, Mr. Khattar said and added that 116 people have been arrested and 90 detained since Monday’s clashes in Nuh. 

Security has been beefed up at sensitive places in the national capital in the wake of violence in some districts of neighbouring Haryana, the Delhi Police said.Activists of Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal held protests at multiple places in the national capital against the clashes causing traffic jams. Videos on social media showed Bajrang Dal supporters reciting Hanuman Chalisa near the Nirman Vihar Metro Station. Later, they tried to block Vikas Marg but were removed by police.“Keeping in view the violence in some districts of Haryana, adjoining Delhi, elaborate security arrangements have been made at all sensitive places in the city and additional police forces have also been deployed where necessary. Any attempt to harm Delhi’s security and communal harmony will be dealt with strictly,” the Delhi Police said.“Police have enhanced patrolling in sensitive areas and are also holding meetings with peace committees. Social media monitoring is also being done,” officials said.

The Supreme Court on August 2 observed that “..there cannot be violence, hate speech, destruction of property or life, let additional police force be deployed or para military force… where there can be violence install CCTV and let recordings be preserved”.Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju appeared for the Union of India and stated that he needed time for instructions.“It is accepted and admitted that directions given by SC on October 21, 2022 by Justice K.M. Joseph-led Bench as extended by order of Jan 13, 2023 have to be complied with. We hope and trust that State, along with police, shall ensure that there is no hate speech against any community or violence against any property. Wherever required additional police force or para military force be deployed and wherever required authorities shall use the CCTV cameras or make video recordings in all sensitive areas wherever required. The CCTV footage shall be preserved. Relist this application on Friday,’ the Supreme Court said in its order.