The Aligarh Students’ Parents’ Association has bitterly criticised a statement by the Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM), a body affiliated to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, which had warned schools in the city not to celebrate Christmas.
A delegation of the association has been meeting district officials and has demanded strong action against the HJM. A meeting of the parents’ association held under its head, Umesh Chandra Srivastava, criticised the stance and statement of the HJM.
According to Srivastava, the HJM had intentions to create trouble before and on December 25 in Aligarh and its efforts will not be allowed to succeed. Another member of the association, Anurag Gupta, said that some political organisations are trying vitiate the peaceful atmosphere of the city and trying to threaten schools in the name of religion.
Rajesh Pandey, SSP Aligarh, said that though police have not received any written complaint against the HJM, any body, political or apolitical, would not be allowed to disturb the communal harmony of the city. The police came to know about this issue through media.
The Hindu Jagran Manch is a group affiliated to the VHP. It has been in the news for preventing religious conversions and the body was reportedly founded by the BJP MP Vinay Katiyar in 1982. It first came to light for its activism and religious violence in the tribal areas of the Dangs district of Gujarat in 1998. It has also been in the news for its Ghar Wapsi (reconversion to Hinduism) programmes in 2014 in the western UP district of Agra.
Meanwhile, Rashpal Singh, a local resident, described this kind of statement by the HJM as a ‘Taliban-style diktat.'
Earlier, the HJM had asked schools of the city, which have majority of Hindu students, not to impose their decision to celebrate Christmas. HJM city president Sonu Savita said the group would resist all efforts by those schools that would compel its students to celebrate Christmas. Its city general secretary Puneet Sharma said that all such efforts will be opposed by the HJM.
The Forum for Muslim Studies and Analysis (Aligarh) has demanded stern action against the members of HJM.
Meanwhile, ADG (law and order) Anand Kumar, in a letter written to various district police chiefs, has clearly directed them to taken strict action against those who have been trying to prevent people from celebrating Christmas. The step has been taken after the statement by the members of the HJM.
Meanwhile, commenting on the threats, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma on Tuesday said people were free to celebrate festivals of any religion.
(With agency inputs)
