Violence: Haryana Clashes: For Days Before Violence In Nuh, Social Media Was Rife With Videos And Threats | Gurgaon News
Also See: Haryana Violence Live
Last Saturday, the handle of a Faridabad-based political activist posted on Facebook that “Monu Manesar is coming”, referring to the controversial leader of the gau rakshak network operating in south Haryana.
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Residents of the several houses dotting the areas that saw violence since Monday, watched in disbelief as communal clashes spilled onto the roads. Police help arrived after almost seven hours to rescue people who had taken shelter at a Shiv temple when communal clashes broke out in Nuh Chowk on Monday afternoon.
The Gurgaon administration Tuesday suspended internet services in Sohna, Manesar and Pataudi till further orders, and asked all schools to remain closed for physical classes till Wednesday. A mosque located in one of the city’s prime residential areas, a short distance from Golf Course Road and the Rapid Metro corridor, was stormed by an armed mob at midnight on Monday and torched.
“Do whatever you can… We have over 150 vehicles. I am letting you know all my locations, find us,” he said in the clip.
Monu is one of the accused in murder case of two men from Rajasthan — Nasir (26) and Junaid (35) — whose charred bodies were found this February in Bhiwani.
On Sunday night, Monu — who, according to the police, is “absconding” — also posted a video on his Instagram account, urging his supporters to join him in the Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra. It is not clear if he eventually attended the procession. Police sources earlier told TOI he didn’t, but there has been no official word on it.
The videos set off a swirl of reactions and counter-reactions.
Some users from another community warned against Monu Manesar’s presence in Nuh. Others threatened “consequences” and said: “…don’t spoil peace here.” Another threatened retaliation.
A Nuh police spokesperson said on Tuesday that their cyber team had tracked the posts for three days.
“Our cyber experts were already on alert ahead of the yatra. There were so many posts on Facebook, which were spreading hatred. They were checking all the comments and making a list of those people. Experts blocked these pages and deleted several of the posts,” police spokesperson Krishan Kumar said.
Since the cyber police station in Nuh was ransacked during the clashes on Monday, the teams are now working from the district headquarters to start a “fresh investigation”, Kumar said. “We have thousands of Facebook Live videos, which are helping us track all the attackers,” he added.
In the hours after the attack on the yatra in Nuh, a mob went on the rampage at Sohna, and incidents of communal violence were reported from Faridabad and Palwal as well.
The same day, more videos — openly issuing threats and calling for retaliation — circulated widely.
One of them exhorted people to assemble at Gurgaon’s Rajiv Chowk, but the attempt was thwarted by cops on Monday night.
Similar videos — from members of both the communities — have been swirling online, spreading disinformation, prompting authorities to issue several warnings and clarifications to dispel rumours.
Deputy commissioner Nishant Yadav said the administration was monitoring social media content. “If anyone spreads rumours on social media or makes any wrong comment about anyone’s religion or caste, then police will take strict action on that,” Yadav said.
