Accused in murder case of two Raj men, Manesar is a prominent face of cow vigilantism in Haryana
Gurugram, Feb 18: Mohit Yadav alias Monu Manesar, who is evading arrest in the murder case of two men in Rajasthan, became a prominent face of cow vigilantism in Haryana during the last five years - helped by his presence on social media.
A member of the Bajrang Dal, 30-year-old Monu in a video message denied his involvement in the case and claimed he was at a hotel at the time of the incident. He also shared CCTV footage from the hotel on social media.
He joined the Bajrang Dal as a co-coordinator in his home district Manesar in 2011 and was a member of the district cow protection task force formed by authorities after Haryana's cow protection law came into force in December 2015.
He is now the district president of Bajrang Dal and frequently courts controversy over the actions of his own cow protection group and shares videos of vigilantes chasing, confronting and nabbing alleged cow smugglers. The videos, mostly live streams, have thousands of views and comments.
He has 83,000 followers on Facebook and more than 2 lakh subscribers on YouTube. He received a silver play button from YouTube in October last year as the number of subscribers crossed one lakh.
Under the Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act that was implemented in 2015, cow slaughter in Haryana attracted rigorous imprisonment ranging from three years to 10 years. After this law, a number of cow protection groups, including those already present, became visibly active.
There have been allegations that cow protection groups have been targeting a particular community and indulging in high-handedness. AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has alleged that the BJP government was shielding such vigilantes.
Monu has, however, claimed that he has been receiving death threats from suspected smugglers. The Haryana police last month filed two FIRs on his complaints.
Just days prior to that, the family of 22-year-old Varis had accused cow vigilantes, including Monu, of thrashing him to death after branding him a cow smuggler in Nuh district of Haryana, though police had said he died in a road accident.
The police said a Santro car with Varis and two others, Shokeen and Nafis, had rammed into a tempo near Khori Kalan village on Tauru-Bhiwadi road on Saturday.
Monu had claimed that they had rescued a cow from the car and taken the injured to hospital.
"I went live on Facebook and also asked the name of one of the injured, but we did not hurt any of them," he had said.
He is now among the five accused in the case in which the charred bodies of two Muslim men from Rajasthan were found in a car in Haryana's Bhiwani after they were allegedly abducted by cow vigilantes.
Nasir (25) and Junaid alias Juna (35), both residents of Ghatmeeka village in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan, were allegedly abducted on Wednesday and their bodies were found inside a burnt car in Loharu in Bhiwani in Haryana on Thursday morning. However, Monu Manesar had claimed his innocence in this case.
"My colleagues and I have no role but Rajasthan Police registered a case against me and my group members. I don't even know the deceased," he had said in his video message.
Rajasthan police has launched a manhunt for him.
The Gurugram police in Haryana also conducted raids to nab him in a case of murder attempt which was registered against him on February 7 at Pataudi police station, said officials.
According to police, a brawl broke out between two groups in Pataudi's Baba Shah Mohalla when Monu Manesar was there along with his team.
A complaint was filed by Mubin Khan, a resident of the same locality, who said that his son Mohin was shot at during firing in two groups and received a bullet injury.
Following the complaint of Mubin Khan, an FIR was registered under Section 307 (attempt to murder) against Monu and others at the Pataudi police station.
"In the case of murder attempt, Monu Manesar is wanted and we are also conducting raids to nab him", said Manbir Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Manesar.
After completing class 12, Monu had joined a polytechnic.
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Canada's Liberal Party to decide who will be country's next prime minister on March 9
Toronto (AP): Canada's governing Liberal Party will announce the country's next prime minister on March 9 after a leadership vote that follows the resignation of Justin Trudeau this week, party leaders said late Thursday.
Trudeau remains prime minister until a new leader is chosen.
The front runners for the Liberal leadership are former central banker Mark Carney and ex-Finance Minster Chrystia Freeland, whose abrupt resignation last month forced Trudeau's exit.
“After a robust and secure nation-wide process, the Liberal Party of Canada will choose a new leader on March 9, and be ready to fight and win the 2025 election,” Sachit Mehra, President of the Liberal Party of Canada, said in a statement.
The political upheaval comes at a difficult moment for Canada. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump keeps calling Canada the 51st state and has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian goods.
The next Liberal leader could be the shortest-tenured prime minister in the country's history. All three opposition parties have vowed to bring down the Liberals' minority government in a no confidence vote after Parliament resumes on March 24.
Recent polls suggest the Liberals' chances of winning the next election look slim. In the latest poll by Nanos, the Liberals trail the opposition Conservatives 45% to 23%.
Trudeau announced his resignation Monday after facing an increasing loss of support both within his party and in the country.
The 53-year-old scion of Pierre Trudeau, one of Canada's most famous prime ministers, became deeply unpopular with voters over a range of issues, including the soaring cost of food and housing as well as surging immigration.
Trudeau told Freeland last month he no longer wanted her to serve as finance minister but that she could remain deputy prime minister and the point person for U.S.-Canada relations. Freeland resigned shortly after and released a scathing letter about the government that proved to be the last straw for the embattled leader.
Freeland has been talking to her colleagues this week to discuss next steps.
After she resigned, Trump called Freeland “totally toxic” and “not at all conducive to making deals.” Freeland was Canada's point person when the U.S, Canada and Mexico redid its free trade deal during the first Trump administration.
Freeland is a combination of many things that seem to irritate Trump: a liberal, a Canadian, and a former journalist. Freeland, who is of Ukrainian heritage, also has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia
In 2012, Carney was named the first foreigner to serve as governor of the Bank of England since it was founded in 1694. The appointment of a Canadian won bipartisan praise in Britain after he served as the head of Canada's central bank and after Canada recovered faster than many other countries from the 2008 financial crisis.
Carney is a highly educated economist with Wall Street experience who is widely credited with helping Canada dodge the worst of the 2008 crisis and helping the U.K. manage Brexit.
He has long been interested in entering politics and becoming prime minister but lacks political experience. He said this week in a statement that he is encouraged by the support he has had, and that he will consider his decision with family over the next few days.
The party's National Board of Directors announced the rules of the race late Thursday.
The Liberal party said the fee to join the leadership race will be $350,000 Canadian ($243,000) and candidates must declare by Jan. 23. The party said voters for the party leadership must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident.
The Liberals changed their rules years ago to make it easier for people to register as party members and vote in leadership elections, including eliminating all fees. But some Members of Parliament have said the party needs tighten its rules on who can register as a member after a foreign-interference inquiry heard about foreigners voting in local nomination races.
“Protecting the integrity of our democratic process, while still engaging as many people as possible, is one of the Liberal Party of Canada's top priorities,” the party said in a statement.
