Increasing crime against traders may upset BJP’s apple cart

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, July 18

The BJP government could face a political fallout of the rising crime graph in the region ahead of the October Assembly poll. The incidents of firing on a Mahindra showroom on June 24, extortion threats and the murder of a JJP leader and trader at Hansi have angered traders in the urban areas. “The BJP considered urban areas its stronghold. But the prevailing scenario has irked the traders in the urban segments and is likely to have political implications,” admitted a BJP leader.

Congress leader Bajrang Das Garg, who also heads the Haryana Vyapar Mandal, has been highlighting the issue by holding protests. The murder of the JJP leader and businessman Ravinder Saini in the district on July 10 further fuelled anger among the traders.

BJP leader Rajiv Jain and businessmen leaning towards the party have got active and met CM Nayab Singh Saini recently, seeking strict action against criminals.

They informed the CM that crime against traders had registered a spurt in Hisar, Rohtak, Bahadurgarh, Kurukshetra and Sonepat. “It’s a serious matter. We demand that the traders be issued arms licences, besides taking more measures to curb crime,” Jain said, adding that the CM had also held a meeting with top police functionaries on Sunday and talked to the SPs of districts where such incidents had taken place.

However, getting its act together after Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini stirred the police into action, the Haryana Police shot down three gangsters on July 12 and arrested eight accused in the JJP leader murder case in Hansi town within a week.

Liquor vend bidders threatened

The rising crime graph is casting a shadow on bids for liquor vends. The auction fetched much less than expected. Of the total 75 zones, four are yet to get bids by the Excise and Taxation Department. Sources said some criminal elements had threatened prospective bidders. Officials said most zones had fetched lower-than-expected revenue.

Nafe Singh murder still a mystery

The murder of INLD state president Nafe Singh Rathi on February 25 in Bahadurgarh of Jhajjar district still remains a mystery for the police, even though four persons had been arrested. The case was handed over to the CBI. Meanwhile, another high-profile murder case of the sarpanch of Kanwari village in Hisar district in March was cracked by the police and the accused were arrested.

JJP leader’s murder, showroom firing case

Realising the gravity of the situation, CM Nayab Singh Saini directed the top cops to get their act together. Haryana STF and Delhi police jointly carried out the operation and killed three gangsters Ashish alias Lalu, Sunny Kharar and Vicky Ridhana in an encounter in Sonepat on July 12. They were involved in the June 24 firing at the Mahindra showroom in Hisar. Hansi police also arrested eight persons – three of them during an encounter – in the JJP leader murder case in Hansi. Gangster Kala Khairampuriya was also arrested after being deported from Thailand.