Central Chhattisgarh is still reeling from the incident of communal violence on April 8 in Biranpur Village, Bemetera district. In the aftermath, right-wing groups at a protest gathering in Jagdalpur pledged to economically boycott Muslims and Christians.
Video footage of the pledge surfaced online soon after. In the video, Mukesh Chandak, a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) functionary is administering the pledge. A former BJP MP and a royal scion in Chhattisgarh were among those who participated in the gathering that involved over 70-80 people, according to a report by NDTV.
The BJP subsequently distanced itself from the event. However, those present at the pledge ceremony included former MP from Bastar, Dinesh Kashyap, and royal scion Kamal Chandra Bhanjdeo, as seen in the video. District president Roop Singh Mandavi can be spotted alongside VHP activists taking a pledge of an "economic boycott" of Muslims and Christians in Jagdalpur near Aamaguda Chowk.
The pledge says that apart from an economic boycott of “non-Hindus, be it a Muslim or a Christian”, all Hindus should have signboards in their shops and business institutions indicating that they belong to Hindu owners.
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This was a response to the violence in Biranpur. As reported by The Hindu, at an inter-faith wedding, a fight between youths flared up. The violence led to the death of a man identified as Bhuneshvar Sahu and left three policemen injured. Two more residents from a different community were found murdered near the village on Tuesday, the police said that they believe in a clear correlation.
Chief Minister Baghel condemned the event, and since then, police have arrested eleven people in connection with the violence. The police have also received several complaints regarding the pledge, even as CM Baghel accused the BJP of trying to politicize the case, while the state took every action necessary. As of now though, the police are yet to file a case with regard to the pledge.
