Locals at a market after curfew was relaxed for a few hours, in violence-hit Nuh district on August 10, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Congress MLA from Nuh, Aftab Ahmed, on Friday, August 11, 2023 said innocent local youth should not be harassed in the name of investigation into the recent communal clashes in the Haryana district and the real perpetrators of the violence, including Bajrang Dal member Monu Manesar, should be booked.
Mr. Ahmed, a former Haryana Transport Minister, was speaking to the media after meeting Nuh Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarniya on innocent people being allegedly picked up by the police.
Mr. Ahmed said several people, though not involved in the clashes, had fled their homes in villages in Nuh, Punhana, Nagina and Tauru blocks fearing police harassment. He said the situation was “alarming”. “Only the real culprits be arrested and put behind bars,” he said.
Accusing the Haryana government of protecting Monu Manesar, he said the Bajrang Dal member was roaming around freely, giving interviews to news channels, despite several criminal complaints lodged against him in Haryana. “The Haryana government must help the Rajasthan Police to nab him,” Mr. Ahmed said.
On the allegations against his own party member and Firozpur Jhirka MLA Mamman Khan for making provocative statements inside the Assembly, Mr. Ahmed said an elected representative making a statement inside the Assembly, discharging his constitutional duty, cannot be compared with a criminal making provocative statements.
He slammed the government for the demolition drive, saying that it was aimed at teaching a “lesson” to a particular community. He demanded to know as to what was the tearing hurry to carry out the demolition drive soon after the clashes.
Mr. Bijarniya denied the allegations saying that the arrests were being made only after the videos showed the presence and the involvement of the accused.
“A Special Task Force team led by Deputy Inspector General of Police sifts the social media posts and other evidence to identify the accused before any arrests,” he said.