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The Supreme Court will hear a plea on Monday that urges to preserve and protect the fundamental rights of Hindus residing in District Mewat Nuh Haryana claiming their life, personal liberty and religious rights are being continuously eroded by members of Muslim community who are in dominant position in the district.

The matter is listed to be heard before the Division Bench of Justcie A.S. Bopanna and Justice Hrikesh Roy,  that asks for the following reliefs –

a) Issue appropriate writ order or direction constituting a special investigating team ( SIT) consisting of members from CBI and NIA under the supervision of retired Supreme Court Judge to make investigation into the question of forceful conversion of Hindu residents, forceful and illegal execution of sale deeds of Hindus properties, rape of Hindu women and minor girls, the encroachment made on public land, the conditions of temples, religious places, and cremation grounds existing there and the role of concerned officers and police and slackness committed by them in discharge of their official duty;

b) Issue an appropriate writ order or direction directing the Central Government to deploy paramilitary forces in District Nuh Mewat to protect life and liberty of citizens;

c) Issue an appropriate writ, order or direction directing to respondents to rehabilitate the exodus Hindus at their respective properties;

d) Issue an appropriate writ, order or direction directing the respondents to nullify all sale deeds executed by Hindus in favour of Muslims in last 10 years under coercion and undue influence;

e) Issue an appropriate writ, order or direction directing the respondents to restore all the temples, places of worship and cremation grounds in their original forms which have been encroached upon by any member of the society;

f) Issue an appropriate writ, order or direction directing to make investigation and take action on the F.I.R. logged by Hindu community relating to murder, rape/ gang rapes, kidnapping, abduction , molestation and House trespass;

g) Issue an appropriate writ, order or direction directing the respondents to make investigation in all the cases relating to murder, rape/gang rapes , kidnapping, abduction , molestation and House trespass on the basis of complaint being made by the victims;

 h) Issue an appropriate writ, order or direction awarding suitable compensation to the victims or their family;

The plea is filed by petitioner Ranjana Agnihotri through Advocate on Record Vishnu Shankar Jain and avers that, Muslims under the patronage of Tablighi Jammat have gradually increased their strength and now the position is that Hindus Population is decreasing and it has come down from 20% to 10-11% since the last census 2011.

“The State Government as well as District Administration and local police have failed to exercise the powers vested in them by law due to which the life and liberty of every Hindu and particularly the women and Dalits is in jeopardy and they are bound to lead life under sword of dominant group and the Fundamental Rights and the concept of welfare state remains a golden word to be only in books but having no meaning is left for a child born in Hindu society in the said area.” – Excerpt from the plea.

The plea further states that, a number of Hindus have been forcibly converted to Islam and a number of Hindu women and minor girls have been abducted and raped. The Hindu women are not safe at all. The Muslims at a large number have committed atrocities on members of Schedule caste.

It must be noted that on 31st May 2020, a four member committee after visiting the place and taking evidence of several villagers, have submitted a report dated 01.06.2020 on the ground situation of Hindus in Mewat and atrocities committed on them by Muslims to the Chief Minister of Haryana, which is alarming

The petitioner further contends that, retired Army Generals have also visited the place to find out the truth in the allegations. General G.D Bakshi has narrated the pitiable condition of Hindus in District Mewat –Nuh which was telecast on Sudarshan News Channels.

“It is relevant to mention that T.V. News Channels namely Sudarshan and News Nation have widely broadcast the reports collected by their correspondents by placing the interviews of several villagers stating the sad story of the residents of the area but the State Government and District Administration have not awakened from their long slumber.”- Excerpt from the plea.

The plea refers to the case law decided by the Supreme Court in case of Sarbananda Sonowal vs Union of India and Another reported in 2005 (5) SCC 665 where it has noted the report 08.11.1998 sent by Governor of Assam, Lt. Gen. S.K. Sinha (Retired), former Deputy Chief of Army Staff, wherein it was mentioned that :-

“The silent and invidious demographic invasion of Assam may result in the loss of the geo strategically vital districts of lower Assam. The influx of these illegal migrants is turning these districts into a Muslim majority region. It will then only be a matter of time when a demand for their merger with Bangladesh may be made. The rapid growth of international Islamic fundamentalism may provide for driving force for this demand. In this context, it is pertinent that Bangladesh has long discarded D secularism and has chosen to become an Islamic State. Loss of lower Assam will sever the entire land mass of the North-East, from the rest of India and the rich natural resources of that region will be lost to the Nation.”

 

[Case title – Ranjana Agnihotri & Ors v. UOI]