Patna: The recent communal violence during Ram Navami across several districts of Bihar was “not spontaneous but pre-planned” organised by the BJP and Bajrang Dal, alleged a fact-finding team’s report. The report was released on Monday in a press conference by a group “United Against Hate (UAH)”.
The team comprises of social activists Nadeem Khan, Mahatab Alam and Farrah Shakeb. There are other members also on the team, who are journalists like Prashant Tandon, Hasnul Banna, Tarique Anwar, Sagarika Kissu. They had visited the affected areas and had conversations with locals there from April 3 to April 7.
The team found a similar pattern in districts such as Gaya, Siwan, Kaimur, Aurangabad, Samastipur, Munger, Nawada, Nalanda, Haiderganj and Rosera. “Newly-formed organisations approached the district’s administration to take permission for carrying out Ram Navami processions,” said the report. And in most of the cases, it was given, the report added as per The Statesman.
“People, especially youth riding hundreds of motorbikes, take out rallies, brandish swords and other weapons and play highly objectionable songs. Violating the terms and conditions, they try to enter Muslim-majority areas which are objected to by the local Muslim populations. As a result, stone pelting starts and then shops and other properties belonging to a particular community are set on fire,” said the fact-finding team’s report.
“On our visit, we observed a new pattern of violence that began on March 25 when the Rama Navami rally was taken out in Aurangabad. Similar rallies in the affected districts were forcefully taken to Muslim areas, where provocative slogans were raised and shops of Muslims community were damaged,” said Tandon, a team member.
The team found months of preparation to carry out the procession, as swords in large numbers were ordered online. The report said it found a very less involvement of local population.
The UAH report alleged “After visiting riot-affected places and speaking to people it was very clear that the violence was not spontaneous but was pre-planned and very carefully orchestrated by the BJP and Bajrang Dal hooligans.”