The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has expressed his displeasure with the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government in Haryana over "soft-pedaling" of alleged persecution of Dalits and religious conversion of Hindus in the Mewat region of the state.
VHP sources said the Hindu group did not expect an "indifferent attitude" of the state government, that too when Khattar himself comes from the 'Sangh' background.
A VHP delegation had met the Chief Minister last month, but the government has not taken any step in investigating the cases nor has it filed cases against the suspects. "We fail to understand the compulsions of the government; it only reflects the indifference of the ruling dispensation," said a VHP leader.
"Anti-Hindu elements in Mewat feel encouraged by the government's attitude. No Hindus are left in over 100 villages of that region. We are capable of protecting Hindus' interests and are not dependent on any government. But we hope the government would fulfill its responsibility," VHP's national spokesperson Vinod Bansal told .
Located around 75 km south of Delhi, Mewat district was carved out of Gurugram and Faridabad in 2005 by the Congress government. In 2016, the Khattar government changed its name to Nuh. The VHP and other Sangh outfits have alleged large-scale religious conversion and Dalit persecution in some villages of Mewat.
VHP's Joint General Secretary Surendra Jain led a team and met the CM last month and handed him a startling report that claimed that Hindus have migrated from 103 villages out of the total 500 and the community is reduced to a "hopeless minority" in 84 other villages. Parishad leaders said the CM had assured them of investigation into the matter.
"The police in that region do not register cases involving kidnapping of Dalit girls and sexual assaults on them. Large chunks of land are being forcibly registered in others' names and temples are being taken over, forcing migration of Hindus. But now the government will not only have to pay attention to such criminal acts, but also act decisively against the perpetrators," said Surendra Jain.
Bansal said former Justice Pawan Kumar has investigated incidents of Dalit persecution and a team, formed at VHP's instance and led by G.D. Bakshi, has submitted its report. National Commission for Scheduled Castes executive member Dr Ramshankar Katheria too has visited the area and investigated the cases.
"Anti-national activities are continuing in the area which has now become a hub of Rohingya Muslims. Funding from Pakistan has enabled many five-star madrasas to function from the region. In one instance in 2018, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a youth in a case of Laskhkar-e-Taiba (LeT)-funded madrasa. Since this area is close to the national capital, the probe agencies must keep a close watch on it," said Bansal.
( With inputs from IANS )