New Delhi: Dalits who are turning towards Islam after the Hindutva ideologies in the nation are denying them their basic legal rights and equalities, is perceived as a huge disrespect and insult towards Hinduism with various Bajrang Dal activist punishing them for the conversion.
The Dalit man who was allegedly slapped by one of the Bajrang dal activists for converting to Islam had reconverted to Hinduism the very next day by undergoing ‘ghar wapsi’ as per the Hindu rituals in Shamli District, Indian Express reported.
One of the activists said the Dalit man reconverted to Hinduism after they “convinced” him and also made him take a pledge to “remain a Hindu throughout his life”.
Pawan Kumar, dalit by caste and welder was allegedly slapped by a group of activists at his house the video of which went viral on social media on Tuesday.
The video footage shows Pawan facing the activist group and someone from the crowd flung his skullcap off his head.
The Police said Pawan refused to file a complaint against the assault even though the Police team contacted him.
According to the sources Pawan had converted to Islam around three weeks ago, after which he started wearing a skullcap which is worn by the Muslim to cover their heads along with growing beard.
Shamli’s Additional SP Shlok Kumar speaking of the case said, “We got information through media that Pawan Kumar was thrashed by some right wing activists… These people went to him on Monday night and counselled him. On Tuesday, we contacted Pawan to come to us, but he did not. He said he would not take any legal action … Today, we again tried to talk to him, but he was not in his house.”
He added that: “We have been told that he converted because he is 34 years of age and unmarried. He was lured by some people to convert to Islam so he could get married to a Muslim girl.”
However, Pawan denied from converting to Islam said Shamli’s SP Dev Ranjan Verma.
“We had sent a police team but he was not ready to share details of the cleric who helped him convert. He claimed that he never converted to Islam and had started wearing a skullcap and beard just because he liked it. On Tuesday, some Bajrang Dal men conducted his shuddhikaran or (purification). We are keeping a watch on the situation,” Verma said, adding, “A police team will go speak to him again in case he is afraid of filing a complaint.”
Meanwhile, as always the ring-wing group activists denied assaulting the man alleging the local residents had beaten Pawan. Sources said they could not reach Pawan despite several attempts.
“Some people got him converted to Islam, luring him with a job and marriage… But after we convinced him, he underwent ghar wapsi on Tuesday as per Hindu rituals and also took a pledge that he will remain a Hindu throughout his life,” one of the activist Premi claimed.
When asked if it was Bajrang dal’s action, Premi denying the same, said some elderly people from the locality assaulted Pawan and they only helped Pawan to get his beard shaved calling a barber.
It was back in 2015 when Shamli police had arrested Vivek Premi and one other activist for allegedly beating and humiliating a Muslim by making him parade through a market after blackening his face.
Premi at that claimed the man Mohammed Riyaz aged 42 was carrying a stolen calf from Adarsh Mandi area on June 25, 2015 and was headed for slaughtering when he caught him. Riyaz was later handed over to Police after being beaten up by Premi and his associate.
Four days after Riyaz was punished by Premi and other associates, an FIR was lodged against them for beating him up. A video and photographs showing Premi beating up Riyaz had gone viral on internet after the incident.
The miscreants were arrested on charges of rioting, voluntarily causing hurt, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace and promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion after the incident.
The district had then invoked the National Security Act against Premi and his associates alleging him that his actions had led to communal tension in the city which was later invoked by Central Government in January 2016.