Saharanpur: State Home Secretary Mani Prasad Mishra and ADG (Law and Order) Aditya Mishra on Thursday went door to door in Shabbirpur village and apologised to both communities for the failure of the police in handling the situation.
Mani Prasad also assured them to take action against those who showed insincerity.“I have worked with many governments. I can assure you that Yogi ji (Adityanath) is true to his word. He has sent me to listen to your problems and sort them out,” he told people in the village.
As per a report by Indian Express, he expressed regret for meeting only Dalits during his visit to the village on Thursday. “I had an important meeting and had to leave. I have come today to listen to all the bitter things you have to tell me,” he said.
While he addressed the group, few Rajputs threatened him to teach a particular Gram Pradhan and members of the Bhim Army a lesson. Mani Prasad asked them to keep calm and said “Bhim Army ko hum dekh lenge.”
Later, he greeted Dalit families in Saharanpur with the slogan “Jai Bhim”.
“We all are human beings and our blood is the same. Through you, I appeal to the Dalit community to help the government,” he told a 70-year-old woman.
When people questioned him on May 5 and 23 incidents and the administration’s failures, he told them: “If the administration had done proper work, I need not have come to this village. I am here to correct all the wrongs. Also, my experience tells me the government is not wrong.”
The family members of Pradeep Chauhan, a 37-year-old who was shot at in Chak Hareta area on Wednesday, blamed the Bhim Army.
Pradeep was going to buy goods for his shop when someone shot at him. “His motorbike had a sticker of Maharana Pratap and ‘Rajput’ was written on it. He became a victim of the ongoing hate crime,” Pradeep’s father Jasbeer said.
On the other hand, Bhim Army national president Vinay Ratan Singh said the allegations were baseless. “We are working very hard to maintain peace and order in the district. I don’t understand why we are being targeted. We have never perpetrated violence against Thakurs, and we have no role in this incident,” he said.
SP (City) Prabal Pratap Singh said, “We are questioning people in the city. We are investigating all possible angles and not ruling out the possibility of Bhim Army’s role.”