'Giving two-day ultimatum...': Haryana's 50 panchayats bar entry of Muslim traders over Nuh clashes

In a move that could escalate tensions between two communities, over 50 panchayats in three districts of Haryana have barred the entry of Muslim traders, India Today reported on Wednesday. These panchayats in Rewari, Mahendergarh, and Jhajjar have issued letters saying the Muslims living in the villages need to submit their documents to the police. 

In Hisar, a few panchayat members have given a two-day ultimatum to all the shops to fire their Muslim employees. "We are giving a two-day ultimatum to all the shops to fire their Muslim employees or we will boycott them," they said.

The Narnaul sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) has asked the block offices to send show-cause notices to all the panchayats.

These panchayats' move comes just over a week after clashes erupted in Nuh on July 31 and adjoining Gurugram. The violence began after some people of a community pelted stones at a religious procession taken out by Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad. Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, were killed in the clashes in Nuh and Gurugram.

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij said the attack on the procession looked pre-planned. A total of 312 persons have been arrested and 142 FIRs registered so far in connection with the clashes in Haryana, Vij said in a statement on Tuesday.

Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Tuesday indicated that there were shortcomings of the administration in assessing the situation in Nuh.

On Tuesday, Nuh SP Narender Bijarnia said that 57 FIRs had been registered and 170 people had been arrested in Nuh. He also said that apart from 1,900 police personnel, 31 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed to maintain law and order in the district.

Days after the clashes, an anti-encroachment drive was carried out in Nuh. The district administration bulldozed illegal constructions on 2.6 acres of land around the Nalhar Medical College. SDM Ashwani Kumar said these were illegal constructions and that notices were already given to owners of the demolished structures. "The owners of some illegal structures were also involved in the violence during the Braj Mandal religious yatra. The demolition drive will continue," he said.

Meanwhile, a plea has been filed in the Supreme Court over alleged "blatant hate speeches" and social and economic boycotts of a community. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal mentioned the plea before Chief Justice DY Chandrachud. Sibal told the court that a "very serious thing" had happened in Gurugram. "There is a very serious thing that has happened in Gurugram where there is a call....that if you employ these people (Muslims) in shops, you will all be 'gaddars' (traitors)," he said.

(With inputs from Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu)