VHP holds sit-ins against incidents of violence, submit memorandum to President
Highlights
- VHP alleged stones were pelted at temples and houses after prayers in mosques on June 10
- Protests erupted in several parts of the country against remarks on Prophet Mohammad by Nupur Sharma
- VHP also demanded that high-resolution cameras be installed “inside and outside” every mosque
Prophet remark: The Vishva Hindu Parishad and its youth wing Bajrang Dal threw heavyweight behind suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma who is at the centre of a massive controversy involving Prophet Mohammad, the founder of Islam. Scores of VHP and Bajrang Dal workers on Thursday hit the streets in different cities against the violence that rocked last Friday.
The VHP has said that it will meet President Ram Nath Kovind to submit a memorandum seeking action against those resorting to violence and making offensive comments against Sharma. Its Delhi unit called on people in the city to assemble in temples and participate in mass recitations of Hanuman Chalisa on Tuesday to register protest against the June 10 violence in parts of the country.
The VHP-Bajrang Dal protestors outside the Delhi's Nand Nagri's SDM office raised slogans like 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', Vande Mataram and vowed "attacks on Hindus will not be tolerated". "We have gathered here to protest against the last week's protests across India by some elements. We demand strict against those who tried to instigate people," Delhi VHP President Surendra Gupta said.
VHP alleged violent demonstrations were held and stones pelted at temples and houses after prayers in mosques on June 10 as part of a well-planned conspiracy to defame India globally. The RSS affiliate said its youth wing activists will hold a sit-in in district administration headquarters across the country today against the "growing extremist incidents by Islamic Jihadi fundamentalists", and also submit a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind.
Protests erupted in several parts of the country, including outside Delhi's Jama Masjid, on June 10 against the controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad by now-sacked BJP functionaries Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal.
Also Read | Prophet row: Bajrang Dal to hold nationwide protest against violence over Nupur Sharma's remark
In Jharkhand, some policemen were injured while trying to control demonstrators, while authorities in Jammu imposed a curfew in a few areas. In parts of Uttar Pradesh, protesters pelted the police with stones prompting the latter to baton charge them and use tear gas shells.
"Illegal fatwas were issued for the killing of Nupur Sharma...The Hindu society rejects and strongly condemns the pressure that was built on the Hindu society due to such illegal demonstrations," Delhi VHP chief Kapil Khanna said in a statement. "To protest against this, I call upon the Hindu society of Delhi to assemble at small and big temples in the city and participate in mass recitation of Hanuman Chalisa at 8.00 pm tomorrow (June 14, 2022)," he added. Khanna also urged managers and priests of temples to put up notices informing devotees to spread the information.
VHP General Secretary Milind Parande said the government, police and society are fully capable of responding to it. Seers at the meeting expressed resentment against the violence and called it a "well-planned conspiracy", Parande said. The body also demanded a stringent law to check conversions and the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code.
It also demanded that high-resolution cameras be installed “inside and outside” every mosque and madrassa as well as in areas dominated by Muslims across the country to monitor activities there in the wake of the Friday violence.
(With Inputs from Shrutika)
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