Don’t have any info, only CM knows about Nuh Incident: Home Minister Vij passes buck

New Delhi, August 7, 2023: In the wake of the communal violence that erupted in Haryana’s Nuh on July 31, the state’s Home Minister, Anil Vij, has expressed his desire for clarity regarding the intelligence system’s functioning related to the incident.

Minister Vij stated on Sunday that only Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar possesses information regarding the matter.

The disturbing incident saw six individuals lose their lives, including two home guards, and numerous others injured and displaced due to the ensuing violence. The clashes that originated in Nuh spread to the neighboring Gurgaon district. Subsequent to the turmoil, authorities undertook the demolition of numerous houses and structures.

On August 4, Anil Vij disclosed that 202 people have been arrested and 80 taken into preventive detention in connection with the violence, which initially flared during a yatra organized by the VHP and the Bajrang Dal.

Regarding the current situation in Nuh and the restoration of internet services, Minister Vij asserted: “Now only the chief minister will tell about the Nuh incident. I have no information.”

During an interaction with journalists in Ambala, the Home Minister reaffirmed his previous stance: “I have said whatever I had to say (on Nuh).”

Vij’s comments have sparked speculation about his dissatisfaction, seemingly stemming from not being adequately informed about the developments in the Nuh episode.

Addressing the possibility of an “intelligence failure” leading to the Nuh violence, Vij emphasized the need for a thorough inquiry: “Such a big matter can’t be resolved without a probe. I have asked for a probe to know at what level there was intelligence information, who had such information, and up to what level of the officer the information was shared.”

The dynamics between the Haryana Home Minister and the Chief Minister were also notable in January 2020, when Vij was officially stripped of the charge of the state CID (intelligence wing) after a dispute over control of CID emerged between the two leaders.