Iqlakh’s family leaves Bishada; saffron outfits denied entry into village

Dadri (Uttar Pradesh), October 7

The family of Mohammed Iqlakh, who was beaten to death on a street near Dadri last week over rumours of eating beef, has left its home for comparative safety of Delhi, as VHP leader Sadhvi Prachi was today prevented from entering the restive Bishada village defying prohibitory orders.

As the village, about 60 km from the national capital, continued to struggle to return to normalcy, a fringe Hindutva outfit founded by BJP MP Yogi Adityanath offered all help to the majority community “including guns” if they were harassed by the police.

Mohammad Sartaj, the elder son of Iqlakh, confirmed the family moved over to Delhi last night, eight days after his father was dragged out of his home by a 200-strong lynch mob and bludgeoned to death, as Bishada held on to fragile peace.

Iqlakh's younger son Danish, 22, who was critically wounded in the attack and is undergoing treatment at a Noida hospital, has come out of the ICU and is able to communicate with the family, he said.

Bishada, meanwhile, continued to be out of bounds for outsiders including saffron seers, who tried to steamroll their way into the village but were prevented by the authorities.

The welcome arch to the Rajput-dominated village, with a towering statue of Maharana Pratap atop it, is still heavily barricaded and there is large scale police presence. The civil and police authorities took out peace march and held peace committee meetings to cool frayed tempers.

Prachi alleged there was a “conspiracy” behind the administration's move to deny her permission to enter the village and asked why AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi was allowed to meet the victim's family.

“I wanted to meet families of Jay Prakash and Rahul Yadav but I was denied entry. I had requested the SDM in this respect. Owaisi, who comes from Hyderabad can meet, why I am not allowed entry? This is a conspiracy," Prachi said.

A resident of Bishada, Jay Prakash (24) was found dead under mysterious circumstances yesterday, while Yadav received bullet injury during protests against the administration in the aftermath of lynching of Iqlakh.

Talking to reporters, the firebrand sadhvi also targeted Uttar Pradesh Minister Azam Khan over his letter to the United Nations asking it to look into the "miseries" of minorities in India.

“His letter to the United Nations has tarnished India's image,” she said, branding Khan a “traitor” who should be prosecuted.

Prachi also demanded a compensation of Rs 50 lakh each for the families of Yadav and Jay Prakash. “Prakash was tortured to the extent that he committed suicide,” she alleged.

Earlier in the day, members of the 'Hindu Yuva Vahini', an outfit founded by Adityanath, made a vain attempt to enter the village after which its leader Jitendra Tyagi said the majority community was being harassed and they would do everything to extend them help, including by providing guns.

“We will go and meet Hindus who are being harassed by authorities concerned. We will provide them all possible help, be it tan-man-dhan-gun, if they are harassed,” Tyagi said before being prevented by the police from entering the troubled village.

Tyagi, however, termed as "sad" the September 28 killing of Iqlkah and demanded a CBI probe into the case.

He wondered why only Muslims were being offered compensation, while Jay Prakash's family has not been offered assistance. Incidentally, the Uttar Pradesh government has provided an assistance of Rs 5 lakh to Rahul Yadav.

“The ones who slaughter cows are being compensated. Did they earn this money on their own? Why only Muslims are getting help? Why Jay Prakash has not been given any help?" Tyagi asked.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Rajnath Singh has warned of “strongest possible action” against those who try to disrupt communal harmony. "Strongest possible action will be taken against those who try to break communal harmony in the country," he said in Delhi, a day after the Uttar Pradesh government submitted a report on the incident to his ministry. — PTI