As communal violence unfolded in Nuh district of Haryana on July 31 which claimed the lives of six people, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) questioned the role of Congress MLA Mamman Khan in the violence saying that he made a “provocative statement” on the floor of the Haryana legislative assembly.
Speaking at the BJP headquarters in Delhi, party national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said that Khan’s social media posts “raise suspicion about the Congress’ role in the violence”.
Who is Mamman Khan?
The Congress MLA is known for his social activities across the southern Haryana region. In 2019, Khan won on a Congress ticket from the Firozepur Jhirka Assembly seat, getting 57.62 per cent votes and defeated Naseem Ahmed from the BJP.
Khan had fought the elections in 2014 as an Independent candidate and lost against Ahmed, who fought on an INLD ticket. Khan was defeated by 3,245 votes.
Earlier, during the Budget Session of Haryana Assembly in February, after the killing of Junaid and Nasir by alleged cow vigilantes, Khan had named Monu Manesar as one of those who were responsible for the killings. The bodies of the two, who belonged to Rajasthan, were found dumped in Bhiwani in Haryana.
Although Rajasthan Police had filed an FIR, Manesar was never arrested.
Speaking in the Assembly in February, Khan had displayed photographs depicting acts of violence allegedly by Manesar, and had dared him to visit the Mewat region, promising to teach him a lesson, if he did so.
Khan had said: “Yeh Monu Manesar kahin Amit Shah ke saath photo khichva raha hai, kahin Arun Jaitley ke saath photo khichva raha hai. Kya darana chahta hai hamein yeh Mewatiyon ko ke mein itna bada aadmi hoon? Abke yeh Mewat mein gaya toh isko pyaaz ki tarah phod denge (This Monu Manesar got his pictures clicked with Amit Shah at one place, with Arun Jaitley at another. Does he want to scare the Mewatis by showing that he is a big man? If he dares visit Mewat again, he will be crushed like an onion).”
In some photos that Khan showed, Manesar and other cow vigilantes can be seen carrying weapons. The MLA questioned how the government allowed them to possess the weapons.
Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala had then said that a committee will be constituted to investigate the incident.
In the Nuh violence, Manesar alleged that Khan had supported the Nuh rioters, along with other Muslim MLAs in the area.
The deputy CM said that the Haryana government is probing the matter, and “be it Monu Manesar or Mamman Khan, whoever is found responsible shall not be spared at any cost”.
Communal violence broke out in Nuh district on July 31 as a mob tried to stop a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) procession by pelting stones and setting cars on fire. A day later, the violence spilled over neighbouring Gurugram.
Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, have died in the clashes.