HARYANA LOSES THE PLOT AGAIN
For the third year in a row, the Manohar Lal Khattar-led Haryana government has been found wanting in protecting the state from mob violence.
Last year, 42 people were killed after Dera Sacha Sauda supporters ran amok following the conviction of their chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a rape case. In 2016, violent protests accompanying the demand for reservation for Jats led to over 20 deaths.
CRITICS ARE DRAWING PARALLELS WITH THE ARSON THAT FOLLOWED THE CONVICTION OF DERA SACHA SAUDA CHIEF IN PANCHKULA LAST YEAR
CHANDIGARH/GURGAON: Violence erupted in parts of Haryana before the release of Bollywood film Padmaavat on Thursday, catching the Manohar Lal Khattar government off-guard and drawing allegations of “deteriorating law and order” from the Opposition.
Despite the imposition of prohibitory orders in the state, agitators ran amok in Gurgaon — torching a Haryana roadways vehicle, pelting stones at a school bus and blocking traffic on the Pataudi-Wazirpur road. Miscreants had vandalised a shopping mall in Kurukshetra on Sunday.
Critics drew parallels with the violence that followed the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in Panchkula last year, when the government allegedly failed to prevent the death of 42 people and destruction of property worth ₹126 crore.
In 2016, Haryana witnessed widespread violence as Jat agitators went on the warpath to demand reservations in jobs and academic admissions. Over 20 people were killed during the month-long movement. The state machinery failed to prevent violence on both these occasions despite warnings.
The Congress attacked the Haryana government over the “deteriorating law-and-order situation” in the state. “Terrified children cry inconsolably and anarchy prevails. The Khattar government again fails miserably in upholding law and order,” Randeep Singh Surjewala, the party’s chief spokesperson, said.
Though Khattar had asserted on Mondaythat the state government will provide security to cinema halls planning to screen the movie, he failed to generate a lot of confidence. The Kurukshetra police said the vandals who targeted the shopping mall most likely belonged to the Rajput Karni Sena because Glitz Cinema was planning to screen the controversial movie. Security personnel said around 15-20 masked men armed with swords and sticks entered the mall and vandalised shops on the ground floor. They also smashed windowpanes of movie ticket booking counter and fired three rounds in the air.
In Gurgaon, the first major instance of violence was reported at 1pm on the PataudiWazirpur road when a group of 15-20 youngsters burnt tyres and blocked traffic for nearly 10 minutes.