Members of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, an outfit founded by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, today barged into a house in Meerut and allegedly roughed up a Muslim man and a woman belonging to another faith after they were found together.
Local residents and activist from the right-wing outfit handed over the couple to the police after beating them.
Police said that the youth brigade created a ruckus after some local residents informed them that the man, identified as Wasim, had called the woman to his friend's rented accommodation. The activists told police that the two were allegedly found in an objectionable position.
The man is a resident of Muzaffarnagar who works at a hotel in Meerut.
While the woman was released after warning, the man was booked on charges of obscenity, they said.
Police said the couple was not beaten up.
Sachin Mittal, Meerut zonal head, Hindu Yuva Vahini said, "People have become confident and more aware since Adityanath has taken charge as the chief minister. They want things to become better. The people in the neighbourhood, where this incident took place, informed us about it."
"The word moral policing (used for us) is wrong. The moment we were informed about the incident we called up police immediately and they reached the spot before us. Police brought them out," Mittal said.
The incident comes on the heels of allegations of high-handedness by UP Police's anti-Rome squad that was formed to check eve teasing after BJP government came to power in the state.
CM Yogi Adityanath had recently instructed police not to harass "innocent" couples after some unsavoury incidents involving anti-romeo squads.
