A total of 176 people have been arrested and 78 others have been taken into preventive detention in connection with the communal clashes in Haryana, a top state government official said in Chandigarh on Thursday. Additional Chief Secretary (Home) TVSN Prasad added to this information, saying 93 FIRs had been registered, including 46 in Nuh, 23 in Gurugram, 18 in Palwal as well as three in Faridabad and Rewari each. “We have to take a fully comprehensive view of the situation. Provocative or false information should not be spread on social media,” Prasad said while addressing media persons.
Both the state government and the police administration have promised that those responsible for the clashes will not be spared. “We will come down very heavily on whoever tries to disturb law and order,” Prasad added. The additional chief secretary said the situation is fast returning to normalcy. “I would say it has returned to normalcy. We have adequate forces. The Centre was requested to send additional forces and 24 companies of central forces were provided,” he said. He said that a second battalion of the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) had been deployed in Nuh on Wednesday. “Very soon in Mewat, we will set up a Rapid Action Force (RAF) Centre, which will be a permanent station,” he further said. Meanwhile, in view of the violence that flared up in Nuh, and parts of Gurugram, a community leader directed Muslims in the district not to offer the Friday namaz in public places or mosques. In a video message, Mufti Saleem Qasmi, president of Jamiat Ulama in Gurugram, asked people to refrain from gathering in mosques for prayers. Qasmi said it is the responsibility of the people to maintain brotherhood. “I appeal to the people to offer namaz at home. Only those people who live in a masjid can offer namaz in the masjid. No one else is allowed to enter it. May Allah protect our brotherhood,” Mufti told reporters on Thursday. Deputy Commissioner Prashant Panwar and Superintendent of Police Varun Singla held a meeting with the Ulemas in Nuh on Thursday and appealed to them to pray in their homes.
Six people including a cleric were killed in the violence that ensued after the clashes on Monday. Violence later spilled over as several cars and food joints were set on fire.
