The Wire Staff 
New Delhi: Days after the communal clashes in Haryana’s Nuh, several farmer unions and Khap panchayats appealed for peace and demanded the arrest of self-proclaimed cow vigilante and Bajranag Dal leader Monu Manesar at a mahapanchayat on Wednesday (August 9), NDTV reported.
Six people were killed in clashes after a Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) procession on July 31, where Manesar’s presence was expected. The violence claimed the lives of six people including two home guards and a cleric.
The Bhartiya Kisan Mazdoor Union organised the mahapanchayat of khaps, farmer unions, and religious leaders from Haryana in Hisar to condemn the violence and passed several resolutions calling for peace and harmony in the region. The gathering was attended by Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs who resolved that people from all religions will work to restore peace in the region, the report said.
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However, letters allegedly written by some panchayat heads in Mahendergarh, Rewari, and Jhajjar – claiming that they have banned Muslim traders from conducting business in their villages – also surfaced online.
According to the report, farm unions have criticised the Haryana government over their handling of the violence. Khap panchayats, on the other hand, took a mixed stance with some supporting the boycott of Muslim traders and others condemning the incident and demanding Manesar’s arrest.
Days before the Nuh procession, a video saying that Manesar would attend the procession went viral and allegedly sparked the communal clashes in the city which later spread to Gurugram and other areas.
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Manesar said he did not attend the gathering at VHP’s advice amid fears that his presence would create tensions in the area, NDTV reported. A special investigation team (SIT) will be formed to investigate the role of Manesar in the clashes, Haryana state police chief P.K. Agrawal said.
The 30-year-old is wanted by the police for the kidnapping and murder of two Muslim cattle-traders, Junaid and Nasir, who were found dead in a burnt car in Bhiwani in February. Their families in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur alleged that they were beaten and killed by members of the Bajrang Dal, but the group has denied any involvement in the crime, the report said.