Haryana: Congress' Nuh MLAs express concern over rising cases of right-wing group attacks

Chandigarh: Some Congress MLAs from Haryana's Nuh district, who had recently alleged that vigilantes in the Mewat region were indulging in hooliganism in the name of cow protection, on Monday expressed concern over "rising numbers of attacks by right-wing groups".

Condemning the killings of Nasir and Junaid, whose remains were found in a charred car last month in Bhiwani district's Loharu, the Congress' Punhana MLA Mohd Illyas claimed that the abduction and murder of the two men from Rajasthan was not an isolated incident.

During the past year, "seven of our youths have been killed", he alleged.

"...Our patience should not be taken as cowardice. We have laid down (our) lives for the country and can do it for ourselves also. If Bajrang Dal workers do not stop these attacks, we can also retaliate," Illyas said during Budget discussions in the Haryana Assembly.

If such things (attacks) continue, then Muslim and Hindus will hold a joint panchayat there, Illyas said.

The Meo Muslims of Mewat -- a historical region of Haryana and Rajasthan -- always stood for the country. Even when invaders came in the past, they had been given a befitting reply by people of the area, the Congress legislator claimed.

At the time of Partition, Mahatma Gandhi visited the Ghasera village in Mewat and had said the people there chose to stay in India over moving to Pakistan, Illyas added.

Never has there been communal violence between Hindus and Muslims of the area, Illyas said, and alleged that "Bajrang Dal workers are using the cow issue as an excuse for votebank politics".

Mamman Khan, the Congress' Firozpur Jhirka MLA, while referring to the Loharu killings, said it was unfortunate that the chief minister had not intervened to rein in the culprits.

Last month, some Congress MLAs from the Mewat region alleged that some cow vigilantes were indulging in hooliganism in the name of cow protection.