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Many shops in Badshahpur, Sector 66 and Sohana Chowk have been vandalized
GURUGRAM: Shops remained shut for the second consecutive day in many localities of India’s cyber city Gurugram on Wednesday as communal tensions spread from Muslim-dominated Nuh to adjacent districts over weekend.
Mobs vandalized shops belonging to Muslims in Badshahpur, Sector 66, and Sohna Chowk areas of Gurugram on Tuesday, which many justified as a retaliation to “what happened in Nuh”.
On Monday, a procession taken out by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) came under attack near Nalhar village in Nuh district, promoting clashes between the two communities which has claimed the lives of at least six people and resulted in widespread arson and vandalism.
READ MORE: Explained: How communal clashes engulfed Haryana’s Nuh?
Speaking to The New Indian in Badshahpur area, a group of Hindu men, gathered in front of a vandalized chicken shop, said they expected the violence to intensify in Gurugram and surrounding areas.
“What is wrong with this (vandalism of shops of Muslims)? If they are killing our people, policemen, and setting vehicles on fire, won’t there be a response? They are posting videos saying Hindus are wearing bangles. Should we sit silently and just watch?” asked an angry Sandeep, a man in his 30s. Another mid-aged man, Virendra Yadav, nodes in agreement.
A vandalized shop in sector 66, Gurugram
Surya Prakash Yadav, an elderly man, agreed that targeted attacks are no solution to any problem, but said he saw it as a way to vent out anger and frustration. “This is retaliation to what happened in Nuh… But such attacks cannot be justified and brotherhood must be upheld.”
Another mid-aged person, who witnessed the vandalism, said the mob disappeared when they saw police vehicles but resurfaced to attack biryani and meat shops,” he said, adding, “Hindus are very angry and they have yet to vent it out.”
In Gurugram’s Sector 57, where a group of people torched a controversial mosque and killed its imam on Monday night, a few hours after the violence in Nuh, a young man objected to the presence of the mosque.
READ MORE: Clash breaks out during Muharram procession in Delhi’s Nangloi
“It shouldn’t be here. There is no Muslim-dominated village in the radius of 30 km in this area. Locals have staged several protests against it,” said Naveen.
As per estimates, more than a dozen shops were attacked by around 200-odd men who came on bikes and SUVs in Badshahpur market. In Sector 66, seven shops were set on fire.
Schools and colleges remained shut in Gurugram for the second day on Wednesday and corporate offices either sent their employees home earlier than the schedule or opted to work from home.
