Releasing List of Attacks on Hindu Festivals, VHP Warned — Do Not Force Hindus to Respond in the Same way
New Delhi : The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has strongly condemned the mob lynching of Tarun Khatik, which it alleges was carried out by a group of attackers on the holy festival of Holi.
VHP Central Joint General Secretary Dr. Surendra Jain stated today that a seven-year-old girl had thrown a water balloon at her uncle during Holi celebrations, and a few drops reportedly fell on the clothes of a Muslim woman passing by. The woman’s relatives and other jihadists assaulted Tarun’s parents and uncle, and Tarun himself was brutally attacked with swords, stones, and sticks in a lane in Uttam Nagar area of the national capital Delhi, leading to his death.
He questioned whether the woman was unaware that Holi is a festival of colors where splashes may fall on anyone. He further alleges that the woman’s presence outside during Holi and the sudden appearance of a group of 25–30 armed attackers cannot be a coincidence. The woman, who is the key conspirator, has not yet been arrested and demands her immediate arrest and interrogation.
Across the country, attackers sometimes put women and minors at the forefront of such attacks, in order to avoid legal action, and he says such tactics must be stopped.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Dr. Jain stated that the attacks on Hindu festivals and processions are not isolated incidents. He claimed that during this year’s Holi alone, there were more than 11 attacks and that over the past 10 years more than 42 complaints of attacks during Holi have been recorded. He further alleged that in the last decade there have been more than 240 violent attacks during Hindu festivals, including cases where Hindus were surrounded and killed. A list of such incidents has is being herewith.
He further said that hostility towards Hindus is increasing and that the reaction of the Hindu community in Uttam Nagar reflects rising anger. He added that the community will not remain passive and will wait for legal action. He also referred to comments from the Madras High Court in the Ramaswamy Udayar case, suggesting that if one group obstructs the festivals or processions of another group, it must also consider how it would conduct its own religious events where it is in minority.
The VHP also issued a warning to leaders such as Asaduddin Owaisi and Maulana Arshad Madani, along with other radical leaders or their secular allies and said that they should not force the Hindu community to respond in the same manner.
The statement also criticized political leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, for allegedly remaining silent on Tarun’s killing. It claimed that like Tarun, many victims of such incidents come from Scheduled Caste communities and questioned why those who claim to support these communities remained silent.
The VHP welcomed what it described as swift action against some of the accused in the lynching but said that the action is still pending against several others, including the alleged main conspirator.
The organization demands:
1. Strict punishment for the accused and all conspirators, so that others would think many times before committing such acts.
2. Action against religious leaders accused of inciting violence, and it called for a ban on Madrasas, promotes extremism.
3. Formation of investigation commissions by the governments of Delhi and other states to examine the causes of increasing violence and hatred against Hindus and the reasons why perpetrators escaping punishment in most of the cases.
Dr Jain also said that the organization is committed to protect Hindu society and is prepared to take all constitutionally permissible steps to fulfil this goal.