Gurugram: For more than two months, an uneasy calm surrounds south Haryana especially several villages of Nuh and Gurugram. There are allegations religious polarisations surrounding the brutal murder of a 25-year-old man by a mob.
On May 16, Asif Khan, a resident of Nuh was abducted when he was on his way to Sohna. He was subsequently shot dead after being beaten mercilessly by some men. Six arrests have been made in the case while four main accused are still absconding.
While Asif's friends and family claimed it to be a hate crime, family members of those who have been arrested claim that their sons are being framed and that Asif was a local goon who used to harass people in the neighborhood.
Following this, at a Hindu mahapanchayat organised in Pataudi near Gurugram on July 4, a host of incendiary remarks were made. This included provocative speeches by BJP leader Suraj Pal Amu. Present in the event was a man, who was a juvenile when he opened fire at anti-CAA protestors on January 30, 2020. Similar to this one, another panchayat was organised in Indiri village in Nuh where the same BJP leader had made several controversial remarks.
With Nuh being a Muslim dominated district, these fringe groups have levelled several allegations about forced conversions and love jihad.
Meanwhile, Asif's family refused comment as his father did not want to vitiate the atmosphere. With no action being taken so far on any of the provocative speeches made in these mahapanchayats, several groups are now holding gatherings for communal harmony.