Bittu Bajrangi, a self-styled cow vigilante and an accused in the Nuh communal violence case, is making headlines once again. Out on bail, Bajrangi is running as an independent candidate in the Haryana assembly elections next month. Bajrangi, whose real name is Rajkumar Panchal, has filed his nomination for the Faridabad NIT assembly segment, which was won by Congress’s Neeraj Sharma in the 2019 elections.
Bajrangi, who is the founder of the Gau Raksha Bajrang Force, has been involved in multiple controversies over the years. His involvement in the Nuh violence, which began in July last year, has been particularly contentious. Violence erupted after a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) procession was attacked by a mob. Bajrangi was seen carrying swords and tridents during the procession.
The violence resulted in the deaths of six people, including two home guards, and numerous injured. The unrest, which began on July 31, spread to other parts of Haryana, including Gurugram, where a naib imam was killed in a mosque amid a series of arson incidents.
Three new cases were registered against Bajrangi in Faridabad this July.
The state has recently witnessed fresh incidents of cow vigilantism. On August 23, a cow protection group mistakenly identified 19-year-old Aryan Mishra as a cow smuggler. The group, acting on reports about cow smugglers in an SUV, fatally shot Mishra during a car chase on the Delhi-Agra National Highway, according to the police. Mishra’s parents, however, believe there is more to the story. Five persons have been arrested in connection with this incident.
On August 27, Sabir Malik, a Muslim worker from West Bengal, was lynched in Charkhi Dadri by five men who suspected him of consuming beef. Seven people, including the five attackers and two minors, are currently in police custody.
The Haryana assembly election will take place on October 5, and votes will be counted on October 8. The BJP has been in power in the state since 2014, and the Congress is confident of returning to power after its decent performance in Lok Sabha elections.Bajrangi, whose real name is Rajkumar Panchal, has filed his nomination for the Faridabad NIT
