UP Min OP Rajbhar Says Violence in Bulandshahr Was ‘Pre-Planned’

Rajbhar told ANI that a programme is held in the city every year where Muslims are gathered in large number.

UP Minister OP Rajbhar

(Photo: Screengrab by ANI)

Uttar Pradesh Minister OP Rajbhar on Tuesday, 4 December, made a controversial statement saying that the violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandhsahr district, that killed two people, including a police inspector, was pre-planned.

Rajbhar told ANI that a programme is held in the city every year where Muslims gather in a large number.

“The reports that are coming from there said that at least 16-17 lakh people gathered. Systematically, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and RSS... now even BJP’s name has cropped up in the video of officials, planned that the event be engulfed in violence as the Muslims have gathered in a large number. It was a pre-planned clash where the inspector was killed.”

OP Rajbhar

"They implore Hindus and in the name of Hindus and they kill a Hindu," he added.

The Uttar Pradesh Police has arrested four people in connection to the violence that erupted over suspicion of alleged cow slaughter and have filed two FIRs – one against the cow slaughter and other against the mob. The FIR named Yogesh Raj, a senior Bajrang Dal leader, as a prime accused in the case.

BJP youth wing member Shikhar Agrawal and VHP member Upendra Raghav have also been named in the FIR. The police has named 27 people and mentioned 60 unnamed persons.

Police inspector SK Singh was killed on Monday, 3 December, during the clash that broke out between the mob and police over a suspicion of cow slaughter.

Who is Yogesh Raj?

Yogesh Raj is a senior leader of the Bajrang Dal who has alleged that he witnessed the incident of cow slaughter in a field on Monday, 3 December.

According to News18, Raj hails from Newbans village of Bulandshahr's Siyana. He told the police that he saw six men from the minority community slaughtering cattle when he was roaming in the jungles of Mahaw with his companions.