Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday termed the communal violence in Nuh district as unfortunate and a preplanned and conspired incident.
Chairing a high-level meeting with Home Minister Anil Vij and top administrative and police officers here, the Chief Minister expressed concerns about the incident that occurred in Nuh on July 31.
He said the incident “appears to be part of a larger conspiracy as the Samajik Yatra has been taking place annually for several years”.
“The authorities are investigating the incident further to comprehend the underlying causes and potential motives behind it.”
Later divulging details regarding the legal action taken against the culprits, the Chief Minister said efforts are underway to identify individuals involved in the incident that are not from the Nuh area.
“As part of the investigation, 44 first information reports (FIRs) have been registered, and 70 people have been named and taken into custody.”
He said the incident has resulted in the loss of five lives, including two policemen.
The Chief Minister expressed his condolences and assured that compensation will be provided to those who have suffered losses of life and property during the incident.
Khattar assured that appropriate action will be taken against those found guilty once the investigation is complete. He made it clear that no troublemaker will be spared, indicating a firm stance against those responsible for the unrest.
The Chief Minister said the government acted with restraint as soon as they received information about the incident on the afternoon of July 31.
“Immediately, orders were given to the Director General of Police, the Additional Director General of Police, the CID, and the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) to maintain the law and order situation in the district.
“To bolster security measures, the Central government was requested to deploy Central police force companies. As a result, 16 companies of the Central police force have been stationed in Nuh and the surrounding areas. In addition, 30 companies of Haryana Police are also present at the location.
“Furthermore, additional police forces have been called from neighbouring districts to ensure adequate law enforcement and maintain peace in the region,” said the Chief Minister.
He said besides the incident in Nuh, there were also isolated incidents in Gurugram, Faridabad, and Palwal districts.
However, the government took prompt action to bring those situations under control. As a result, peace has been restored in all districts.
“To prevent any further escalation, curfew has been imposed as a precautionary measure, and in some districts, Section 144 has been imposed. These measures are aimed at maintaining law and order and ensuring the safety of the residents,” said Khattar.
He also emphasised the government is closely monitoring the entire situation to promptly respond to any developments and ensure the safety and security of the people throughout the state.
In an appeal to the citizens, the Chief Minister urged everyone to come forward and play their part in restoring peace in areas where such incidents have occurred.
He emphasised the importance of cooperation from all members of society to ensure that peace is maintained and the situation does not escalate any further.
“As part of their efforts to promote peace and harmony, the administration has conducted a peace committee meeting involving representatives from various sections of the community and aims to foster a positive dialogue and understanding among different groups,” he said.
Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal, Chief Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, D.S Dhesi, and Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Amit Agrawal, participated in the meeting.
Besides, Director General of Police P.K Agrawal and Additional Director General of Police (CID) Alok Mittal attended the meeting virtually.
(IANS)
