The proposed Jalabhishek Yatra by Hindus in Nuh on Monday was curtailed by the local administration, which only allowed Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) international executive president Alok Kumar along with a dozen Sarv Hindu Samaj representatives, a few saints, and some workers of local Hindu outfits, to offer prayers and holy water at the three temples. They were taken around in four mini-buses escorted by the police teams.
Although Hindus are constitutionally and religiously allowed to observe their religious duties and processions, we have seen various instances where the administration tries its best to curtail their rights.
It has emerged that even in Delhi, the administration and police didn’t allow Hindus to take out a Jalabhishek Yatra on the last Monday of the holy month of Shravan. In a video which has gone viral, local Hindu youth were seen expressing their displeasure and disappointment at this denial of their right to observe their religion.
The Hindu youths claimed that they had taken prior permission for Shiv Jalabhishek Yatra on 12th August itself, but all of a sudden Delhi Police denied them their religious rights by saying No at the last minute without providing any adequate justification.
In this letter, it is visible that Deepak Mehra, who hails from the Vishnu Garden area, near the main locality of Rajouri Garden, requested the DCP, Delhi Police to grant permission for Shiv Shobha Yatra on 28th August. Deepak said that he was planning to join the Shiv Jalabhishek Yatra in Nuh, but as the Haryana administration denied entry to the outsiders, he was forced to cancel that and instead planned to observe the same yatra in his locality.
He promised to maintain the social distance and other safety pre-requisites. As per Deepak, they had also given an undertaking that nobody will be carrying any ‘weapon’ like lathi, danda etc. The local Hindu groups and religious committees were preparing for this yatra for almost 2 weeks, but suddenly Delhi Police denied them permission.
Shocked and disappointed, Hindus are asking as if they are living in Pakistan?
It seems that in the secular Republic of India, Hindus are always at the receiving end. They are always at the mercy of the administration and police to observe their religious duties or take out processions.
