The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday ordered an investigation into an alleged international conspiracy hatched by groups and individuals in foreign countries to defame the state government and foment caste violence in the context of the murder and gang rape of a 19-year-old Dalit woman. . in the district of Hathras.
State police released 19 First Information Reports (FIRs) in seven districts on Sunday in connection with allegations that some political groups and other organizations were trying to incite caste-related violence.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Yogi Adityanath blamed opposition parties and foreign-funded “anti-national” elements for trying to destabilize the state.
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The lead FIR, presented at the Chandpa Police Station in Hathras, invoked charges of sedition, promotion of enmity, incitement to caste-based violence and other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against unknown individuals and groups.
The House’s Additional Chief Secretary, Awanish Kumar Awasthi, said the state government has ordered an investigation into the conspiracy to instigate the Breed clashes by launching a website and that strict action will be taken against the culprits.
The investigation, conducted by the state Department of the Interior, will focus on the individuals and groups behind justiceforhathrasvictim.carrd.co who housed information on the date, time and location of the protests that swept across India over the past week as well. as resources on avoiding arrest, mobilizing demos, and trending hashtags.
“Our preliminary research indicates that together with the local population, organizations and individuals based in some foreign countries launched the website to incite caste riots in UP along the lines of the race-related clashes in the United States.” said a senior state government official.
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The website was taken down, but police have archived materials from the platform, the official added.
Earlier in the day, CM Adityanath told party workers that “anti-national” and “anti-social” elements were conspiring to spark riots in Uttar Pradesh.
“Our opponents are conspiring against us by trying to lay the groundwork for caste and communal riots through international funds. For the past week, opposition parties were eager to see unrest. We need to move forward amid all these conspiracies, ”he said. On Sunday, too, he had said that those who don’t like development wanted to incite ethnic and communal unrest in the state.
A senior police officer said, on condition of anonymity, that the website was created overnight and posted transformed photos, raised funds, targeted police and administrative officials, and spread hate speech.
“Misleading and objectionable information about the Hathras incident was also posted on the website to create caste tension,” the officer said.
Additional Director General for Police (ADG), Law and Order, Prashant Kumar, declined to elaborate on the international conspiracy allegations, but at a press conference earlier that day, he said efforts were being made to vitiate the atmosphere through posts and posters on social media.
He also said that some groups offered Rs 50 lakh to the victim’s family to speak on his behalf.
“These groups used social media platforms to spread hatred, inciting people to caste conflicts and illegal gatherings in times of the Covid-19 pandemic. The police have presented several FIRs on the matter and it will be too early to reveal the names or more details without a proper investigation, ”he added.
The officer did not present any evidence to support his claim. “Police teams are verifying the veracity of these messages. Action will be taken against those involved if something comes up in our investigation, ”Kumar said.
Six FIRs were hosted in the Hathras district, while others showed up in Bijnor, Bulandshahr, Lucknow, Prayagaraj and elsewhere, it added.
In the FIR housed in the Chandpa police station, unidentified groups were registered in 20 sections, including sedition (124A of the Indian Penal Code) and for inciting caste violence. In addition to sedition, the accused have been registered under articles 153A (promotion of enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 153 B (accusations, claims harmful to national integration), 465 (falsification), 468 (forgery for the purpose of deception), 469 (forgery for the purpose of damaging reputation) along with other sections of the Information Technology Act and the IPC.
Bhim’s army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, members of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) were mentioned in three separate FIRs housed in Hathras.
In other districts such as Lucknow, FIRs were filed against people who posted messages or allegedly transformed images on social media platforms in connection with the Hathras incident. At least six people, including two in Lucknow, have been arrested in connection with these FIRs.
In Hathras, the police brought three separate FIRs against Bhim’s army chief, RLD and SP workers for violating section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which prohibits the public gathering of four or more people, and the provisions of the Epidemic Law during his visits Sunday, authorities said.
On September 14, the victim was raped by four members of a dominant caste in Hathras district when she had gone to the fields to collect fodder for cattle. She was partially paralyzed in the attack.
As her condition worsened, she was transferred to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi on September 28 and died in the early morning of September 29. At 2.30 am the next day, the police forcibly cremated the body without the family’s consent in a field near the village.
Since then, opposition leaders have addressed the people directly, even as the police and the Hathras district administration have denied she was raped, citing the forensic report. Five policemen have also been suspended according to preliminary recommendations from a special investigation team (SIT).
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