Signboard banning the entry of "non-Hindus", Rohingya Muslims and hawkers were reportedly put up across Uttarakhand's Rudrapayag district. An image of the signboard surfaced on social media on Sunday.
The text on the signboard read, "Non-Hindus, Rohingya Muslims and hawkers are prohibited to do business and roam around in the village. If found anywhere in the village, punitive action will be taken." This signboard was installed outside the Nyalsu village, ABP news reported.
Earlier it was claimed that the directive had come from the gram sabha. But Nyalsu village pradhan Pramod Singh told the Hindustan Times that the villagers installed signboard outside his village, not the gram panchayat.
The HT report cited Singh as saying that similar banners have been put up in almost all villages in Uttarakhand including Shersi, Gaurikund, Triyuginarayan, Sonprayag, Barasu, Jamu, Ariya, Ravigram, and Maikhanda.
The issue reportedly came to light after two Muslim delegations — from the Muslim Seva Sangathan and AIMIM — called on Uttarakhand Director General of Police (DGP) Abhinav Kumar on September 5 and conveyed their concerns over rising anti-minority incidents in the state.
Singh said the boards have been installed to prevent hawkers from entering the villages without a police verification.
"Most men of our village are dependent on the yatra, and therefore, they live in Gaurikund and Sonprayag during the yatra. The women are in the houses alone," he was quoted by the Hindustan Times as saying.
"Many hawkers come to the village without a valid ID and police verification. Those with verification have been regularly visiting the village, they are not stopped. If hawkers commit any crime and flee, they can’t be traced," he claimed.
Meanwhile, Chandni Devi, pradhan of Maikhanda village, also confirmed that a similar board was installed outside her village. “We don’t want outsiders to come into our village since there is a threat to our children and women,” she claimed.
Rudraprayag Circle officer Prabodh Kumar Ghildiyal confirmed that they had removed several signboards and were trying to identify the culprits who put them up.
“It came to light that such boards have come up in some villages. We have been removing them. Some have already been removed from a few villages. We are also trying to ascertain the identities of those who have put up these boards,” Ghildiyal was quoted by HT as saying.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Director General of Police (DGP) Abhinav Kumar said he has ordered local police and intelligence units to ascertain reports of such boards being installed in multiple villages.
