Jal Abhishek Yatra: Procession in Nuh passes peacefully

To ensure the safety of this year’s yatra, over 5,000 police and paramilitary personnel were deployed throughout the district

A religious procession organised by the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), which resulted in communal clashes last year, commenced peacefully in Nuh, Haryana, on Monday morning under heavy police deployment, officials said.

Devotees on their way to Nalhar Mahadev temple for Jal Abhishek at Nuh, Gurugram on Monday. (HT Photo)

The Braj Mandal Jal Abhishek Yatra started from Nalhar Mahadev Mandir in Nuh, with devotees proceeding towards Singar Temple via Jhir Mandir in Ferozepur Jhirka, covering around 80km.

Haryana forest and environment minister Sanjay Singh welcomed the devotees in Nuh, accompanied by Waqf board administrator Zakir Hussain, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) district president Narendra Patel, and Nalhareswar Temple committee patron Gurucharan Singh Malik, among other prominent district figures. They travelled with the devotees to the Singar Temple, officials added.

Members of the Muslim community welcomed the devotees, arranging refreshments and setting up pandals at designated points where the yatra paused before entering the temple, officials added.

Bajrang Dal functionary Kulbhushan Bhardwaj noted that many devotees had gathered at Radha Krishna Temple in Gurugram’s Sector 10 before heading to Nalhar Temple. “Those who pelted stones on us last year showered flowers. They welcomed us and greeted us with warmth. The moments were emotional for both sides,” he said.

The devotees gathered at Nalhar Mahadev Temple around 11am, spending an hour there before starting the procession. A large group of local women also arrived at the Nalhar Mahadev temple from Bhuteshwar temple, receiving a warm welcome from the Muslim community at Tiranga Chowk.

To ensure the safety of this year’s yatra, over 5,000 police and paramilitary personnel were deployed throughout the district. The Haryana government on Sunday suspended mobile internet services in Nuh district for 24 hours (till Monday evening) ahead of the yatra.

Nuh superintendent of police Vijay Pratap Singh mentioned that surveillance was conducted through drones to maintain law and order. “The police teams patrolled and were deployed with the procession, keeping a close watch on vehicular movement to prevent any disruptions,” he said.

As part of their safety measures, police checking a vehicle at a check post before Nuh near Sohna in Gurugram on Monday. (HT Photo)

The event last year had come under what authorities described as a “pre-planned attack” when the procession was passing through a communally sensitive locality.

Last year’s clashes on July 31 resulted in the deaths of six people, including two home guards and a Gurugram mosque cleric, after a mob attacked the procession.