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The 2023 Haryana riots is ongoing violence in northern India that originated in the state of Haryana and has also spread to neighboring regions. On 31 July 2023, at least five people were killed after a Hindu religious procession going through Nuh district, Haryana, was attacked by a Muslim mob armed with guns, petrol bombs, sticks, and rocks.

The violence started when right-wing Hindu groups, Bajrang Dal (BD) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), lead a religious procession through the Muslim-majority Nuh district; the Muslim community was angered when it was announced that the procession would be joined by a man wanted by police in the murder of two Muslims. As per initial reports, there is no evidence that the man was at the religious procession, and he has reportedly claimed he was not there. A Muslim mob attacked the Hindu religious procession passing through; and the Hindus threw stones back. Two police personnel were shot dead in the ensuing violence.

Riots

On 31 July 2023, in the afternoon, violence broke out after a procession was taken out by Hindu nationalist groups - the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

The attacks began when a Vishwa Hindu Parishad's, Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra, which has taken place every year, going through Nuh for the past three years, was stopped by a group of men in Nuh's Khedla Mod and attacked with stones. Cars, homes, and shops of the local Hindu community were set ablaze by the predominantly Muslim mob, and at around 2p.m. Hindus were forced to flee to a nearby Nulhar Mahadev temple for shelter. While in the temple they were attacked by the mob, who shot at them with guns, and pelted stones.They were surrounded in the temple by the rioters for about five hours before police reinforcement from five districts were able to rescue them. An estimated 2,500 people, including Hindu devotees, were made refugees and evacuated from Nuh.

Four people, including two Home Guards, and two civilians, were killed in the attacks.

According to Afzal Ahmed, an MLA in Nuh, the riots were planned ahead of time, and the rioters had used social media to provoke it.

Gurugram

Despite the border to Nuh having been sealed, violence spread to neighboring Gurugram, and a crowd of approximately 500 rioters began pelting stoning and torching shops and cars in the Sohna region.

On 1 August 2023, the deputy Imam of the Anjuman Jama mosque in Gurugram was killed after a mob of far-right Hindus torched and opened fire on the mosque. Police said that a mob of 50-60 people opened fire on the mosque and torched it. Mobs also vandalized and set on fire several shops belonging to Muslims.

Response

The government of Haryana banned all mobile internet and SMS services in Nuh district until 2 August 2023. A curfew was imposed in Nuh district.

A compensation of ₹57 lakh each to the families of two home guards killed was announced by the Haryana Police.

Over 80 people were arrested in connection to the riots.

Casualties

Two Home officers, Home Guard Neeraj s/o Chiranjee Lal and Home Guard Gursev s/o Sensi Singh were killed. Reports indicate that one of them was shot to death.

Eight police officers were injured by the mob and taken to a nearby hospital, with notable injuries including Hodal Deputy Superintendent of Police Sajjan Singh, who was shot in the head and an inspector who was shot in the stomach.

References

1. Travelli, Alex; Kumar, Hari (1 August 2023). "Under Hindu Nationalist Leaders, Sectarian Violence Flares in India". The New York Times.
2. "Hindu Shoba Yatra Attacked In Nuh, Mob Pelts Stones & Indulge In Arson, VHP Alleges Attack Was A Planned One". On 31 July 2023, on the occasion of Shravan Somwar, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad organised a Hindu shobha yatra in Haryana's Nuh district in the Mewat region. The event took a violent turn when stones were thrown at the Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Religious Mewat Yatra. In videos of the clashes, a mob can be heard chanting "Allahu Akbar" and engaging in riotous activities. During the incident, two home guards were killed, and approximately a dozen policemen sustained injuries as a mob attempted to halt the Hindu religious procession on the auspicious occasion. The situation escalated as the mob pelted stones and set cars on fire, leading to clashes and causing significant unrest in the area.After individuals from a minority community reportedly attacked one of the vehicles in the religious procession, the police responded by using teargas shells to disperse the crowds. The situation escalated with both sides engaging in stone-throwing, leading to increased anxiety in the area. As a precautionary measure, authorities imposed Section 144 to maintain order.
3. "Planned attack by Muslim Mob on Hindu Procession kills several in Mewat, Haryana". Violent Muslim mob attacked Hindu Procession in Haryana's Nuh District, killing several and vandalizing hundreds of vehicle. A Hindu religious procession that started from Gurugram in Haryana was attacked by a mob of Muslims in the Nuh district on Monday, July 31, 2023. In the incident Muslim mob was seen stone pelting and shooting gun fires in the area, leaving several people dead and hundreds injured. The police had to use tear gas shells to disperse the violent crowd and restore law and order.
4. Kaskar, Zeeshan. "Nuh Temple Priest Refutes Haryana Home Minister's Claim That People Were 'Held Hostage'". The polarisation along religious lines is evident in the aftermath of Monday clashes. Members of the Hindu community told The Wire that mobs consisting of Muslims ransacked their shops, even looted liquor shops, and set many cars on fire
5. "Planned attack by Muslim Mob on Hindu Procession kills several in Mewat, Haryana". A Hindu religious procession that started from Gurugram in Haryana was attacked by a mob of Muslims in the Nuh district on Monday, July 31, 2023. In the incident Muslim mob was seen stone pelting and shooting gun fires in the area, leaving several people dead and hundreds injured. The police had to use tear gas shells to disperse the violent crowd and restore law and order.
6. ^ "India's Haryana state on edge as authorities block internet, deploy troops amid deadly sectarian violence - CBS News". CBS News. 31 July 2023.
7. "Who is Monu Manesar? How this 'gau rakshak' is linked to communal strife in Haryana's Nuh".
8. ^ "Haryana riots: Five killed as religious clashes erupt in Indian state bordering Delhi".
9. ^ "Nuh: Mosque set on fire, cleric killed in religious clashes in India's Haryana". BBC News. 1 August 2023.
10. Kaskar, Zeeshan. "Nuh Temple Priest Refutes Haryana Home Minister's Claim That People Were 'Held Hostage'". The polarisation along religious lines is evident in the aftermath of Monday clashes. Members of the Hindu community told The Wire that mobs consisting of Muslims ransacked their shops, even looted liquor shops, and set many cars on fire
11. Bost, Saikat. "Rioters On Hillocks, Shots And Stones Fired: Nuh Temple's Hours Of Horror". When NDTV visited the temple, about 7 km from Nuh town, the Aravallis surrounding the temple looked scenic. Hours before, rioters gathered on these hillocks had fired shots and thrown stones as those inside the temple cowered into corners, hoping to survive those hours of horror.
12. "Clashes break out between two groups during VHP procession in Haryana's Nuh; prohibitory orders imposed".
13. "What led to communal clashes in Haryana's Nuh, Gurugram".
14. Shukla, Saurabh. "Rioters Stormed Nuh Police Station With Hijacked Bus. Goal: A Clean Slate". Four people, including two Home Guards, were killed, and at least 30 others injured in clashes that broke out between two groups in Haryana yesterday. The clash started during a religious procession in Haryana's Nuh, adjoining Gurugram
15. "What led to communal clashes in Haryana's Nuh, Gurugram". Afzal Ahmed, an MLA in Nuh, on Tuesday, alleged the incident was a planned act of violence."A planned act of violence has been carried out. In the past, there have been trips, but nothing like this ever happened," Ahmed said."Provocation was deliberately done by uploading videos on social media," the MLA added.
16. Sharma, Sumedha. "Nuh violence spreads to Gurugram". A crowd of around 500 rioters pelted stones and torched over four shops and a cab near Ambedkar Chowk in the Sohna region
17. ^ "Hindu mob kills imam, sets fire to mosque in India's Gurugram". Al Jazeera. 1 Aug 2023.
18. ^ "Haryana violence August 1 updates | NCPCR seeks inquiry into children's involvement in stone pelting". The Hindu. 1 August 2023.
19. Bost, Saikat. "Rioters On Hillocks, Shots And Stones Fired: Nuh Temple's Hours Of Horror".
20. "Nuh Violence, Two Home Guards Killed in Clashes; Haryana CM, Other Leaders Appeal for Peace".
21. "Clash in Haryana's Nuh: Two home guards killed, cars burnt, stones pelted in VHP rally violence". Eight of the injured police personnel were taken to Gurugram's Medanta Hospital, he said. Among the injured Hodal Deputy Superintendent of Police Sajjan Singh was shot in the head and an inspector in the stomach

• 2023 riots
• Riots and civil disorder in India
• July 2023 events in India
• Nuh district