‘Reverse Love Jehad’ case leads to communal tension in Doon as commoners suffer and police blinks

‘Reverse Love Jehad’ case leads to communal tension in Doon as commoners suffer and police blinks

S.M.A.KAZMI

Dehradun , Sept 27

A case of ‘Reverse Love Jehad’ has led to heightened communal tension in Doon valley since late last night with members of the rightwing Hindu groups affiliated with the ruling BJP/RSS blocking the main Clock Tower road in the city seeking release of a Bajrang Dal leader who has been booked by the police for alleged communal violence and arson at Dehradun railway station. Later, the Bajrang Dal leaders and his supporters were released under pressure from ruling party leaders.

Thousands of commuters, school going children, tourists and common man were stranded and suffered on the main clock tower as member of Hindu organisations along with shopkeepers of Paltan bazaar started a sit in and blocked the road in support of their demands. All the shops in paltan bazaar and adjoining areas of Gandhi road, Chakrata and Rajpur road also remained closed.

The trouble had started last night when railway police found a minor girl with a boy on the railway platform. On interrogation, it came to light that the minor Muslim girl from Baduan in Uttar Pradesh who had eloped has come to Dehradun to meet her Hindu boy friend. As the news spread about the recovery of a Muslim girl and her Hindu boyfriend at the railway platform, the so-called leaders of both Hindu and Muslim communities reached the railway station.

Vikas Verma, a leader of the Bajrang Dal who has been calling the shots in Uttarakhand and raising the pith on any issue involving the minority community since past several years, was aggressive and wanted that the girl should not be sent back to her parents. The railway police had found that the parents of the minor girl had lodged a police complaint with the Uttar Pradesh police regarding her disappearance. The Bajrang Dal leaders insisted that since Dehradun is a ‘Devbhoomi’ (an abode of Gods) and the girl has taken refuge she should not be sent back. This was objected by Muslim community members who wanted the police to act as per law leading to heated arguments and later clash between the members of the both communities.

Both the groups pelted stones at each other till a strong police force arrived and took control of the situation. It was alleged that some coaches of stationer trains and some vehicles were damaged in the violence and arson. The police finally restored order and booked seven persons each from both the communities. Vikas Verma, Chief of the Bajrang Dal was one of them.

Since morning, the members of the Bajrang Dal and other Hindu right wing groups affiliated to BJP/RSS forced a closure of Paltan bazaar, the main market of the city and their workers blocked the main road at Clock Tower. The protestors demanded the immediate release of Bajrang Dal leader and immediate removal of Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajai Singh for being biased against the Hindu community leaders. The protestors who raised slogans against the police also chanted ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ on the road. Senior ruling BJP leaders Including Dehradun Mayor Sunil Uniyal gama and City BJP President Siddharath Umesh Aggarwal addressed the protestors and assured them that Vikas Verma would be freed soon.

Later, Siddaharth Umesh Aggarwal went to Clementown police station where Vikas Verma was detained and brought him back to clock tower. The city BJP president on his face book page shared a video in which he was seen holding the hand of Vikas Verma and taking him out of the police station as police officials are seen pleading with him. With the release of Vikas Verma, the dharna from the clock tower was lifted as Aggarwal wrote that Vikas verma has been brought back from the police station terming it as a victory of ‘ Sanatan forces’. The sheepish police officials said that he has been given bail from the police station as the sections of the FIR lodged against them were bailable.

A victory procession with Vikas Verma profusely garlanded and taken on the shoulders of his supporters was taken out in the Paltan Bazar. Interestingly, it was Vikas Verma who had taken a lead in the massive police campaign of identification of “outsiders” following allegation by a girl that she was molested by a Muslim worker of a shoe shop owner in Paltan bazaar. There was communal tension as Muslims had alleged that Bajrang dal workers led by Vikas Verma taking law into their hands had beaten up the alleged culprit and taken him to the police station.  Hundreds of “outsiders” who were involved in petty trades in the bazaar  or were workers employed by shopkeepers were detained by police and taken to police lines for identification. It was billed by a great success by the Dehradun police in maintaining law and order in the city.

On the other hand, Nayeem Qyraishi, President of the Muslim Sewa Sangathan said that all the seven persons from Muslim side including Etiat Khan, a councillor from Rita Mandi area of the city near railway station were also released as a quid pro quo.