Ayodhya: Bajrang Dal leader arrested over holding weapons training camp

Mangalore Today News Network

Faizabad, May 26, 2016: Days after a video purportedly showing Bajrang Dal volunteers receiving weapons training in Ayodhya went viral, Faizabad police Wednesday arrested Mahesh Mishra, convenor of the outfit’s Faizabad and Ayodhya units. Mishra has been charged with hurting religious sentiments of Muslims and spreading communal hatred.

The arrest comes after an FIR against unidentified Bajrang Dal workers was lodged at Ayodhya police station late on Tuesday night.

On May 14, a ‘self-defence’ camp was organised at Karsevakpuram, the VHP workshop in Ayodhya. In the video that went viral Monday, volunteers wearing skull caps were reportedly seen brandishing firearm, swords and lathis.

The complainant in the case is sub-inspector Shri Niwas Pandey, in-charge of Naya Ghat police outpost in Ayodhya police station area. The FIR has been filed at Ayodhya police station under IPC section 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony).

Station House Officer, Ayodhya police station, Rajeev Singh said, “As per the FIR, some volunteers in the training camp were depicted as Muslim terrorists while others were presented as Hindu youths of Bharti Sena. The investigating officer would approach media houses to obtain the video. We would start the process of identifying people at the event once we receive the video.”

Bajrang Dal’s Awadh area convenor Rakesh Verma refused to comment on the FIR and said law would take its own course.

Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik had Tuesday maintained that there was nothing wrong in self-defence training imparted by any school or institution. Stating that it is important to understand the intention behind imparting such training, he had told mediapersons that self-defence is necessary and every citizen should be trained.