New Delhi: Something took place in Agra on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday that every Indian and state police forces will need to avoid like the plague.
Two persons arrived on a motorcycle outside the Shahid Ali Chicken Biryani outlet in Agra and opened fire. Gulfam Ali, a cousin of shop owner Shahid Ali, who worked there, was killed on the spot while his colleague Saif Ali was grazed in the neck by a bullet.
Within hours, a video starts doing the rounds on social media. This shows two men, both with guns and knives strapped to their waists. One of them identifies himself as Manoj Chaudhary. He claims to be a member of the Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal and takes responsibility for the attack. He goes on to say that he will kill 2,600 people – members of a certain community – to avenge the deaths of 26 persons in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, as he is a son of Bharat Mata.
Police reaction:
The police launch a technical surveillance and nab one suspect. Officials say that no organisation by the name of Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal exists.
This is nothing but a fallout of a dispute between the shop employees and some customers over the quality of biryani a few days ago, the officials say. The men in the video are just out to seek publicity, it is claimed.
What experts say:
According to experts, this is the kind of activity that enforcement agencies will have to prevent, at a time when India needs no internal trouble to offset the Government’s nuanced approach to address the crisis.
“Such people have to be arrested immediately and locked up. Restrictions need to be imposed on social media posts on such lines. There are likely two kinds of people who would circulate such videos. One kind comprises those who want to take advantage of the situation and portray themselves as heroes. The second kind would be those who want to give Pakistan an opportunity to claim that Muslims are in danger in India. Strict action is required against both kinds,” a former diplomat said.
According to him, authorities will have to be extremely careful in states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh where things tend to get out of hand from time to time.
