Shamli: A week after angry mob ransacked a ready-made garment shop in Himachal Pradesh's Nahan over a religious dispute, Shamli police have arrested the shop owner identified as Javed following an FIR against him in which he is accused of promoting enmity. His shop was ransacked because he had shared animal sacrifice picture on his what's app status on June 19. Although police investigation later confirmed that Javed had not slaughtered a cow but it was a buffalo, which is legally permitted for slaughtering and consuming, Shamli SP said that Javed was booked and arrested for inciting riots due to social media photos which the police said were too gruesome and provocative.
As per local media reports, Javed was in Uttar Pradesh when his shop was vandalised in Himachal Pradesh reportedly in the presence of the police on Wednesday, June 19. Javed was in his home town in Uttar Pradesh for the Eid festivities.
Increased violence in Himachal Pradesh
The incident came to light at a time when sporadic incidents of violence have been on the rise in Himachal, especially after Kulwinder Kaur, the security officer allegedly slapped new BJP Lok Sabha MP Kangana Ranaut at Chandigarh airport earlier in June.
In fact just a few day ago in June, a Punjab-origin non-resident Indian (NRI) was allegedly assaulted by a group of men after an argument over parking while he was visiting Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh. Kawaljit Singh claimed that he and his wife of Spanish origin were targeted as he was Punjabi. Soon after the incident, General Secretary Shiromani Akali Dal Bikram Singh Majithia took to X (formerly known as Twitter and claimed that local residents of Himachal Pradesh were targeting Punjabi tourists ever since the Kangana Ranaut was slapped at Chandigarh airport.
Bikram Singh Majithia had posted X and said, "I strongly condemn the brutal beating of a young man from Spain, Kanwaljit Singh and his wife of Spanish origin, belonging to village Panwan of Majitha constituency, by local people in Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh. BJP MP Kangana Ranaut's statement about Punjabis only has the effect that Himachali people are targeting Punjabi tourists. I request Kangana Ranaut to refrain from making such statements and also appeal to the central government to take strict action against such phenomena."
