Congress MLA linked with Nuh violence, says Haryana home minister; police takes it up

A day after Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said a Congress MLA has been issued a notice by the police in connection with the 31 July Nuh violence, state home minister Anil Vij on 29 August alleged that MLA Mamman Khan was in touch with 'Nuh rioters'.

The police have sent a notice to Mamman Khan, asking him to appear for questioning on August 30, Vij told the media.

“The police shall be questioning Congress MLA Mamman Khan tomorrow. The initial investigation so far has indicated that he was in contact with certain people who were involved in the violence,” Vij said.

“As per our initial investigation, wherever arson and clashes occurred on July 28, 29 and 30, Mamman Khan went there and he was in live contact with those (rioters) at all those places. There are so many angles and so many theories are still coming. We are conducting a fair inquiry,” the minister said.

The home minister also said that “it is also being investigated why the cyber police station was particularly targeted by the rioters”.

“As per the initial investigation, we have arrested approximately 510 people and we have registered 130–140 FIRs. After their interrogation, the conclusion that we are getting for now is that it looks like this has been done by the Congress,” Vij claimed.

A day earlier, Haryana chief minister Khattar took a jibe at the Congress, asking the party to break its silence after one of its MLAs was sent a police notice to 'join the investigation'. He said some other MLAs of the Congress were also allegedly involved in the violence.

Responding to the chief minister's assertion, senior Congress leader Bhupinder Hooda said there should be a judicial probe in the case but “the Haryana government is running away”.

On being asked whether Khan would appear before the police, Hooda replied, “Yes, he will.”

Khan, the legislator from Ferozepur Jhirka, has been served a notice under Section 160 of the CrPC and has been told to present himself at the Nagina police station.

Six people, including two home guards and a Muslim cleric, were killed in the clashes that erupted in Nuh and spread to neighbouring districts during a yatra joined and swelled by the Vishva Hindu Parishad.