Delhi on Alert as Fresh Violence Reported in Upscale Gurgaon Areas Closer to Capital

New Delhi: The communal flare-up in Haryana’s Nuh and Mewat after violence during a Vishwa Hindu Parishad procession that hit Gurgaon on Tuesday, has reportedly spread to newer and upscale areas closer to the capital, Delhi, as per media reports. This is despite Section 144 being imposed in the area.

According to NDTV,  Delhi is on alert after fresh violence reportedly spread to Sector 70 of Gurgaon, which is close to a host of residential high-rises and multinational offices.

Meanwhile, 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 on Wednesday, said news agency PTI.

"Keeping in view 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," the Delhi Police said.

This alert comes in the wake of Hindu outfits Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad planning to stage protests across the national capital against the Haryana violence.

On Tuesday night, several shops and shanties next to a residential complex were set on fire, said NDTV, adding that the authorities have put a ban on sale of petrol and diesel.

However, police said there were only “sporadic clashes” in the city and denied any “major incident” yet.

"There have been some incidents of arson and skirmishes today. But there has been no major incident," police were quoted as saying.

The authorities have appealed to people to guard against rumours and social media messages that may escalate the communal tension and panic.

Some MNCs, like American Express and KPMG, have reportedly advised employees to work from home on Wednesday after reports of fresh violence on Tuesday night.

Educational institutions in Sohna and Gurgaon, however, remain closed on Wednesday to avoid any untoward incident amid the communal flare-up.

Read Also: Haryana: Naib Imam Killed in Gurgaon, Mosque Set Ablaze; Nuh Communal Violence Toll Mounts to 5

On Tuesday night, an eatery and several shops and shanties, largely belonging to Muslims were set afire in Gurgaon by a Hindutva mob. Earlier, a mosque was set ablaze and a naib imam was killed.

The communal violence erupted during a procession by VHP that passed through a Muslim-dominated area in Nuh. The growing trend of taking Hindu religious processions through Muslim-dominated areas, sometimes without police permission, has been a trigger for various communal flare-ups in recent times across states in North India.

In Muslim-dominated Nuh on Monday, police said the trouble began when  VHP's 'Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra' was stopped by a group of young men near Nuh’s Khedla Mod and stones pelted at the procession. Cars were then set ablaze.

People in the procession also hurled stones back at the youths who had stopped them, reports said. Later, many took refuge in a nearby temple as police tried to evacuate them to safety.

The yatra was flagged off from Gurugram’s Civil Lines by BJP district president Gargi Kakkar. A police contingent was deployed with the procession.

According to some claims, the trigger for the clash was an objectionable video posted on social media by a Bajrang Dal activist in Ballabhgarh.

There were also reports that Monu Manesar, a cow vigilante booked earlier for the murder of two Muslim men whose charred bodies were found in Bhiwani district in February, was supposed to join the procession.

In the Nuh violence, 5 people were killed, including two home guards -- Neeraj and Gursewak and Bhadas village resident Shakti. The police have registered 11 FIRs in the district and detained 27 people in connection with the rioting, said PTI.