New Delhi (PTI): The Vishva Hindu Parishad on Wednesday disassociated itself from cow vigilante Bittu Bajrangi arrested in connection with the communal clashes in Haryana's Nuh district.
"Raj Kumar alias Bittu Bajrangi, who is said to be a Bajrang Dal worker, has never had any relation with Bajrang Dal. The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) also does not consider the content of the video allegedly released by him to be appropriate," the right-wing outfit said in a statement.
Bajrang Dal is the youth wing of the VHP.
Bajrangi was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the communal clashes that erupted in Nuh on July 31, police said.
He was questioned in connection with a fresh FIR registered against him and 15-20 others at Nuh's Sadar Police Station based on a complaint filed by Assistant Superintendent of Police Usha Kundu.
Police said Bajrangi, the president of an outfit called the Goraksha Bajrang Force, was initially detained by a Crime Investigation Agency team of Tauru from Faridabad and taken for questioning.
A spokesperson of Nuh Police later said he had been arrested and would be produced in a city court on Wednesday.
The FIR against Bajrangi and the others has been registered under Indian Penal Code sections 148 (riots), 149 (unlawful assembly), 332 (causing hurt), 353, 186 (obstructing a public servant from discharging duty), 395, 397 (armed robbery), and 506 (criminal intimidation) and provisions of the Arms Act, police said.
A senior police officer said Bajrangi and his associates wielded illegal weapons during the VHP procession that came under attack in Muslim-majority Nuh on July 31.
Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, died in the clashes that also spread to nearby regions.
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New Delhi: Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi has refuted allegations of a "wad of currency notes" being found at his designated seat in the Rajya Sabha. Reacting to the claims, Singhvi stated he carries only a single Rs 500 note to the Upper House.
The controversy emerged after Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar disclosed on Friday that security staff had discovered currency notes at seat number 222, allocated to Singhvi, following Thursday's session. The revelation led to protests from opposition members, with Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge objecting to the public naming of Singhvi before completing an investigation.
"I request that until the investigation is done and the authenticity of the incident is established, a member should not be named," Kharge said during the session.
In response to the allegations, Singhvi took to X (formerly Twitter) to clarify his position. "Heard of it first time now. Never heard of it till now! I carry one Rs 500 note when I go to RS. First time heard of it. I reached inside house at 12:57 pm yesterday and house rose at 1 pm; then I sat in canteen till 1:30 pm with Sh Ayodhya Rami Reddy then I left parliament!" he wrote.
Chairman Dhankhar stated that the recovered amount appeared to consist of 100 Rs 500 denomination notes, though their authenticity is yet to be verified. He confirmed that an investigation has been initiated as per protocol and expressed surprise that no one had claimed the money.
Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju defended the Chairman's decision to reveal the seat number and its occupant. Rijiju also called for a detailed investigation into the matter, noting that carrying currency bundles into the House was inappropriate.
"As per routine protocol, the anti-sabotage team checked the seats to wind up the proceedings. During this procedure, the currency notes were found, and the seat numbers were deciphered. Members also signed that day. The Chairman has rightly pointed out the seat number and the member occupying it. What is wrong with that? Why should there be an objection?" Rijiju questioned.
He further added, "Don't you think that while we are progressing towards digital India, carrying bundles of notes in the House is inappropriate? I fully agree with the Chairman that this matter requires a serious investigation."