Four Muslim men have been arrested for allegedly creating “public nuisance” in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore city after Hindutva group members found them outside a garba event, The Indian Express reported on Tuesday.
Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal interrupted the event held at a college in Indore on Sunday. The workers of the Hindutva outfits objected to the organisers’ decision to allow non-Hindus to take part in the event, according to The Times of India.
“The event was also being used to promote ‘love jihad’ as entry was given to thousands of Muslim youngsters,” Tannu Sharma, the Bajrang Dal’s convenor in Indore, told The Times of India.
“Love jihad” is a conspiracy theory espoused by Hindutva activists, who allege that it involves Muslim men forcibly converting Hindu women to Islam through marriage.
Tarun Devda, a Vishwa Hindu Parishad official, alleged that in accordance with Covid-19 norms, the college had permission to only allow 800 students at the event, but it sold tickets to nearly 3,000 people, The Indian Express reported.
A volunteer, who was at the entry gate of the college during the event, told the newspaper that members of the Bajrang Dal had targeted a student named Kadir Mansoori in the college parking area, saying “he is one of theirs”.
“Kadir tried telling them he was a student of the college, but they just dragged him away,” the volunteer said.
The Bajrang Dal members also harassed Mansoori’s friend Adnan Shah. “The Bajrang Dal men then took them to the police van outside the event ground,” the volunteer added.
Mansoor, Shah and their friends Umar Khalid and Sayyad Sakib were handed over to the police, The Indian Express reported.
“We have registered a case against four persons for violating section 151 CrPC [Code of Criminal Procedure] for disturbing peace,” police officer Santosh Yadav told The Times of India.
Meanwhile, sub-divisional magistrate Parag Jain said the four men were sent to jail after their families failed to present bonds for their bail, The Indian Express reported.
But Indore West Superintendent of Police Maheshchand Jain said that he was against their detention. “The action against the four youths is unfair.... The action was taken despite me ordering against it,” he told the newspaper.
Adnan Shah’s uncle Sajid Shah said: “Early Monday morning police assured us that the four would be released but they were produced before the SDM, who instead of giving them bail, sent them to jail without our knowledge.”
A case has also been filed against the organisers of the event also. Jain said that they had violated Covid-19 norms.
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