Nuh clashes take centre stage in Rajasthan polls

Tribune News Service

Sumedha Sharma

Gurugram, October 19

Even as normalcy has been returning to Haryana’s Nuh district after the July 31 communal violence and last year’s Nasir-Junaid murders, the issues have been dominating the political scene in the Mewat region of neighbouring Rajasthan where the Assembly elections are due on November 25.

Polarising effect

• Rajasthan’s Deeg, Bharatpur and Alwar districts and Haryana’s Nuh and Palwal constitute the Mewat region
• The region is dominated by Meo Muslims
• Nasir-Junaid twin murders, Nuh violence (left) and demolitions have turned hot topics in Rajasthan polls

Sentiments have been running high in Rajasthan’s Deeg, Bharatpur and Alwar districts—all part of the Mewat belt—over the twin murders allegedly by cow vigilantes, Nuh clashes and the subsequent demolitions. Parts of Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal districts of Haryana too comprise the Mewat region, which is dominated by Muslims.

Meo Muslim prospective candidates of the Congress have been banking on local furore over the February 2022 double-murder case of Bharatpur residents Nasir and Junaid in Haryana along with the alleged witch-hunting of popular Meo leader and MLA Mamman Khan in Nuh. The BJP, which is yet to find footing on majority of these seats, is publicising the unprecedented “bulldozer demolition justice” of the party’s government in Haryana.

One of the most sensitive seats is Bharatpur’s Kaman, the constituency of Congress MLA Zahida Khan and home to the slain duo Nasir and Junaid. For months now, Zahida is said to be out of favour among the residents for allegedly not delivering on her promise of strict punishment for cow vigilantes accused in the double murder case. She has been facing constant protests and is expected to be moved out of the seat by her party.

The other constituencies that have been impacted include Alwar’s Ramgarh, Kishangarh Bas, Tijara and Alwar (Rural). “Meo Muslims form a major chunk of voters in Deeg, Bharatpur and Alwar districts. Rajasthan and Haryana may be different states, but the Mewat region is united by common concerns. The entire belt is scarred by the twin brutal murders and immolation, rowdyism of cow vigilantes and the recent witch-hunting of Mewatis, including MLA Mamman Khan. The voters seek answers to these woes,” said Aftab Ahmed, Congress MLA from Nuh.

Local BJP leaders and their supporters, on the other hand, have conveyed a message to the Hindu community across Alwar that the party’s government in Haryana “took decisive action against troublemakers in Nuh”. “The Hindus have been at the receiving end here and now we are making them understand that the situation will be the same if the Congress remains in power in Rajasthan. The Hindu families attacked in Haryana have relatives in here and they are not untouched by fear or admiration for bulldozer justice,” alleged local BJP leader Jai Ahuja.

Congress’ Ramgarh MLA Shafia Zubair, however, alleged the BJP was out of favour in this seat as it was “biggest victim of cow vigilantism and they were using Nuh violence to polarise voters”.

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