‘Real Ayodhya’ Row: Man Tonsured Indian & Not Nepali, Say UP Cops
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media, with the man initially believed to be from Nepal.
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The Varanasi Police on Saturday, 18 July, claimed that a man seen getting tonsured in a viral anti-Nepal video may actually be a local who was paid Rs 1,000 to be a part of the clip.
In the viral video, a group of people were seen inscribing ‘Jai Shri Ram’ on the head of a man, who they claimed was from Nepal and forced him to chant slogans against Nepal prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
WHAT ARE THE COPS SAYING?
On Saturday, 18 July, took to their Twitter handle to say that the man involved in the incident was an Indian citizen and had been born in Varanasi, adding that his family members are employed in government services.
At least six people were arrested in connection with the case, they added.
“We managed to contact the person who was shown in the video. This person lives here. He has a house in Jal Sansthan government colony. His parents were employees of the Water Department. Currently, his brother is working in the department. The person [who was tonsured] is a registered voter of India and has an Aadhaar card as well, and was born in Varanasi… He told us that listening to the people [the accused], he went with them and that they paid him Rs 1000 to get the video made. We are collecting more facts,” Varanasi SSP Amit Pathak told The Indian Express.
THE CONTROVERSY
Nepal Envoy to India Nilambar Acharya had earlier reached out to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, to discuss the incident.
According to The Hindu, the video was recorded and shared on Facebook by Arun Pathak, the convenor of Varanasi-based Hindutva group Vishwa Hindu Sena.
Pathak also reportedly encouraged his followers to do the same with other Nepalis in order to teach Oli a lesson. The Varanasi Police has reportedly registered an FIR against Arun Pathak under Sections 505(2) and 295 of the IPC and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act.
This comes in the wake of a claim by Nepalese Prime Minister KPS Oli that the ‘real Ayodhya’ was Nepal. His foreign ministry had later issued a clarification stating that the intent of Oli’s remark was not to hurt anyone’s sentiments.
(With inputs from The Hindu, The Indian Express and ANI.)
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