Nuh violence: Molotov cocktails hurled by anti-social elements, police

Gurugram/ Nuh: A mosque was set on fire, two mosques were attacked with molotov cocktails by motorcycle borne assailants on Wednesday night and short-circuit triggered a blaze in Nuh district, said the police on Thursday morning.

No one is injured and the cases are being investigated said the police.

Motorcycle borne assailants

Anti-social elements came on motorcycles with Molotov cocktails at two mosques in Nuh.

One of the mosques is located near Vijay Chowk, the other is near a police station. Both mosques suffered some damage, said the police.

Superintendent of Police (Nuh), Varun Singla, said, "Light arson has been done in one mosque while short circuit seems to be the reason for the fire in the other. The police took control of the situation and are conducting raids to nab the suspects".

Soon after information was received about the incidents, fire brigades were rushed to the two mosques and the fire was doused, police said.

A senior police officer said they are trying to identified the accused with the help of CCTV cameras of nearby areas.

Curfew relaxed in Nuh

On Thursday morning, curfew was relaxed from 10 am to 1 pm.

Prashant Panwar, Deputy Commissioner of Nuh, "People can buy daily essentials and for that reason, morning hours curfew is relaxed."

The curfew was imposed due to communal clashes that erupted on Monday after a mob tried to stop the Vishwa Hindu Parishad procession.

Prohibitory orders have been clamped in Palwal.

Mobs killed a cleric, torched an eatery and vandalised shops as communal violence that began in Nuh spilled over into neighboring Gurugram on Tuesday. A bangle shop in Palwal district's Minar Gate market was also set on fire by unidentified assailants, they said.

Committee formed to investigate

Six people have died so far in the violence, 116 people have been arrested and 90 detained, according to the Haryana government.

Haryana's Home Minister Anil Vij blamed social media for fueling the violence in Nuh.

A three member committee has been formed for monitoring social media activities from July 21st onwards.

"Social media has played a significant role in fuelling the violence in Nuh. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and others will be closely examined/scanned for any provocative posts," an official statement quoted Vij as saying.

He said the committee will take appropriate legal action against individuals found spreading hatred or misinformation.

The minister appealed to the people to use social media responsibly and refrain from sharing inflammatory content.

He appealed to the people of the state not to forward or share any such post indiscriminately "because we are keeping a close watch on social media".

On a video of Bajrang Dal member Monu Manesar, booked by the Rajasthan Police in the February killing of two Muslim men and accused by some to be a trigger for the Nuh violence, that he would join the Brij Mandal Jalabhishek procession in Nuh was widely circulated on social media, Vij said it does not mean that people's houses will be set on fire, vehicles burnt, bullets fired.

Vij, however, said that if in the present case, if he has any role, Manesar will not be spared.

Facts for Nuh violence investigated

Vij said that the actual facts are being collected and police are also taking action against culprits.

The minister said that in a democracy, everyone has the right to speak their mind, but appealed to the people not to take law into their hands.

"Whoever, no matter how small or big he may be, whoever has conspired, whoever has engineered this, whoever has hatched this conspiracy, will not be spared," he said referring to the Nuh violence.

Opposition attacks government

On the Opposition targeting the BJP-led Haryana government for alleged failure of law and order in the wake of the violence in Nuh, Vij said that it was not the time to do politics, peace has to be restored in the state and everyone should contribute in restoring peace. After this, he said he will answer all the questions of the Opposition.

Inputs from PTI