A few videos purportedly showing cow vigilantes beating up people, hurling abuses at women and brandishing weapons have evoked sharp reactions from residents in Haryana’s Nuh, with many demanding police action against the perpetrators.
Though the residents said the incidents took place in a village in Nuh, the police said the veracity of the videos and the time and place of occurrence of the incidents were being verified.
Strict action demand
Nuh MLA and Congress Legislative Party deputy leader Aftab Ahmed, in a series of tweets, said some journalists had brought to his notice a few objectionable videos featuring alleged cow vigilantes. He added that the antisocial elements in the videos were pointing weapons at the members of the minority community and attacking people. Mr. Ahmed said he had spoken to the Additional Director General of Police, CID, and brought the matter to his notice. “I have demanded strict action [against the miscreants] and furnished all evidence in this connection,” said Mr. Ahmed.
The ticker on some of the videos, shared by Mr. Ahmed on his Twitter handle, read, “Gau Raksha Dal, Haryana, Mewat Raid”; “Team’s Action on stone pelters, Jai Shri Ram”. The videos show local residents, including women and children, hurriedly shutting the doors to their houses on seeing the armed men. Loud songs play in the background as the men drive through the narrow lanes in their vehicles.
Nuh Superintendent of Police Varun Singla told The Hindu that there was no formal complaint with regard to the videos but the police had taken up the probe suo motu after the matter came to their knowledge through media and other sources. “The videos are claimed to be shot in Nuh but we are verifying the place and the time. We are also investigating as to when and by whom these videos were shot,” said Mr. Singla.
