Meerut Viral Video: VHP Men Stand by Their Actions, Claim Govt’s Support

Following the viral video of the police constable beating up a woman in Meerut for reportedly having a relationship with a Muslim, the right wing organisations have claimed that they resolve to stop “islamisation” of India.

“It’s a huge conspiracy by Muslims. Muslim men are trying to trap Hindu women to Islamise India,” said Balraj Doongar, West UP regional chief of Bajrang Dal.

The video – shot on September 23 – showed three police constables in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut abusing the woman in a police vehicle. The female constable can be seen thrashing the woman, while the male official – who is also recording the conversation on his phone – uses derogatory language. A male official says in the video: “Aren’t you ashamed that you are with a Muslim man when there are so many Hindus around?”

The woman was reportedly “rescued” by the police from a few Vishwa Hindu Parishad workers, who were reportedly beating and harassing the woman in Jagriti Vihar, Meerut.

Doongar explained, “See, the arithmetic is quite simple, a Hindu woman gives birth to two children. When Hindu woman converts and marries a Muslim man, we lose those two children and instead, they give birth to ten mullahs in the Muslim family and their count increases. Love Jihad works on this arithmetic. Muslim men are trained to woo Hindu women and convert them to Islam. This was the clear case of Love Jihad in Jagriti Vihar and we had no other choice left but to intervene.”

VHP workers are claiming that they have full support of the government, and that they won’t let anyone transform India into a Muslim state.

“We did the right thing. We don’t know why people are abusing us. They don’t understand that we saved a Hindu woman from the clutches of a Mullah, and we are sure that government is in support of us. We won't ever let a Hindu woman be with a Muslim man. Can’t you see that in Modi’s raj the cases of Love Jihad have decreased than in any other regime? What does this mean,” asked Doongar.

The incident

As per the sources, on September 23, a 20-year-old woman from Sardar Vallabhbhai University in Meerut visited her Muslim classmate at his rented residence in Jagriti Vihar. The locality, Jagriti Vihar is home to several students who come to study in the University. Locals, who were keeping an eye on the activities of the Muslim student, reportedly informed VHP members. Hours later, VHP members, along with the residents, reportedly barged into the house, and assaulted the couple.

A few minutes later, nearly a dozen policemen landed near the house, and forcefully took the couple along with them. Doongar admitted that he and his workers had barged into the house, but maintained that he handed them to the police, refuting the allegations of beating up. Later, a video surfaced showcasing the girl being beaten up and harassed by Meerut police.

Talking to Scroll.in, Sub-Inspector, in charge of Meerut’s Medical Police station, said, “We have control over student-dominated areas and I am surprised that such a thing has happened despite we trying our best to make our staff sensitive about dealing with students,” he said. “We organise periodic briefings on ways to deal with students and the concerned woman constable has worked in this police station for more than a year now.”

It was also confirmed that the home guard had captured the video, but there is no information about who leaked it.

As per the reports by various media organisations, the woman has alleged that the cops forced her to file a rape case against her Muslim friend. “What we have got to know that she was forced to file a rape case against her Muslim friend as a condition to set her free, but she refused and maintained they were just friends, and nothing objectionable had happened,” said a man on the basis of anonymity.

Meanwhile, the three cops seen in the video have been suspended.

Terror among the students

Speaking to Newsclick, a university student said, “The video had gone viral. We saw the video repeatedly until it terrified us. It’s scary; we can’t sit with a Muslim man, we can’t even meet them. A man and a woman sitting together evokes nasty reactions. This video has scared us to the core. After studying in the university for a year, we are aware of the influence and power of these Hindutva groups and their moral policing in the name of Love Jihad and Anti-Romeo Squads.”

Since BJP came to power at the Centre, the term “Love Jihad” has gained prominence in India, especially in Uttar Pradesh where anti- Romeo squads have turned into moral police.

“This is a case of moral policing. Who are they to morally police us? Who are they to tell us what’s right and wrong? Who we should meet, who we shouldn’t? Or even who we should sleep with? They are a few jobless conservative creeps who have gained influence after Modi government came into power. The worst part is that the police is in support of them. The government is in support of them. This has turned dangerous and we are honestly scared,” a woman who was taken aback after watching the video, said on the basis of anonymity.