Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to Twitter on Thursday to address Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's recent claim that Rajasthan police were free to arrest Bajrang Dal member Monu Manesar. Gehlot dismissed Khattar's statement as an attempt to divert attention from the rising violence in Haryana and criticized the lack of cooperation from Haryana police in the investigation of the murder of two Muslim men, Junaid and Nasir.
The bodies of Junaid and Nasir were found charred inside a vehicle in Haryana's Bhiwani district, with their families alleging that they were kidnapped, beaten, and murdered by Bajrang Dal members – a claim the outfit has denied. The Rajasthan police had been probing the case, but when they went to Nuh district in Haryana to arrest the suspects, an FIR was filed against the Rajasthan police team by the Haryana police.
Gehlot pointed out that Khattar's promises of support for Rajasthan police were empty words, and the lack of cooperation from Haryana authorities has hindered progress in tracing the accused. The CM accused Khattar of failing to address the violence in Haryana and using such statements to divert public attention, according to media reports.
The tension in Haryana has been further fueled by three videos released on social media by Monu Manesar and fellow cow vigilante Bittu Bajrangi. In one video, Monu Manesar can be heard urging people to participate in a procession and visit temples in Mewat, escalating communal clashes in the region.
Gehlot's reference to the FIR filed against Rajasthan police personnel in February added to the controversy. The FIR was registered based on a complaint by the family of Shrikant Pandit, a member of Gau Rakshak Dal, who alleged that Rajasthan policemen had barged into their home and assaulted Kamlesh Pandit, who was nine months pregnant, leading to a miscarriage.
