Saffron-clad groups roam Delhi streets, assault protesters; Hindu Raksha Dal chief claims responsibility

Sporting saffron scarves, raising religious slogans and openly boasting of their willingness to use violence, groups of men moved around central Delhi during Saturday’s protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, threatening and assaulting demonstrators despite prohibitory orders being in force.

While four men claiming to be members of the right-wing Hindu Raksha Dal have been arrested for allegedly assaulting students and manhandling women on DDU Marg, videos from the day showed larger groups moving around protest areas in full view of police personnel, openly expressing support for police and administration and threatening those demonstrating against the Election Commission (EC).

The men could be heard claiming they had come out in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and did not care if police picked them up. They alleged that “anti-national and anti-Modi” slogans were being raised at the protests, while some described the demonstrators as anti-national elements who deserved to be thrashed.

Groups of men in saffron scarves were also seen raising slogans of “Delhi Police tum lath bajao, hum tumhare saath hain (Delhi Police, you wield the baton, we are with you)”. The groups moved around apparently unhindered despite prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) being in force.

The presence of these groups contrasted with the large-scale police action against protesters, thousands of whom were detained across the capital during demonstrations demanding Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the functioning of the EC and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

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In one widely circulated video, two men could be seen assaulting a male protester and physically manhandling a woman, pushing her to the ground and pulling at her clothes.

The two men also appear in several older videos alongside Hindu Raksha Dal chief Pinki Chaudhary, a history-sheeter based in Ghaziabad.

The purported footage also shows a police officer at the spot. At one point, another officer is seen approaching one of the alleged attackers and apparently whispering something into his ear, following which the man charges towards the person recording the incident.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was among those who shared a screenshot of the purported assault.

It was this very purported video that Chaudhary subsequently shared on X on Saturday, claiming responsibility for the attack and identifying the men as members of his organisation.

“These are my workers from the Hindu Raksha Dal, an organisation that delivers on its promises,” he wrote, adding that the outfit has the power to set the minds of “cockroaches” straight and would continue to do so.

In another post, he described the attackers as “warriors” of Sanatan Dharma and warned that those who targeted it would themselves be targeted.

“We have no interest in politics, but if anyone targets Sanatan, we will target them and send them exactly where they belong,” he wrote, tagging the Prime Minister’s Office and the offices of chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.

Chaudhary also warned that the Hindu Raksha Dal would not spare those who challenged it and declared that he was ready to protect his workers.

His posts followed an appeal issued ahead of the demonstration in which he had called upon supporters to reach Jantar Mantar carrying sticks.

Police on Sunday said four men had been arrested in connection with the DDU Marg assault, which occurred on a stretch falling under the jurisdiction of Kamla Market police station.

The arrests, however, relate to one of the incidents captured on camera, while several other videos showed larger groups confronting and threatening demonstrators at different locations.

PTI traced the Instagram profiles of two of the arrested men on Saturday evening and found posts containing incendiary communal content. Both profiles had been deleted by Sunday morning.

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Among the material was a video posted in August showing celebrations following the purported release of one of the alleged attackers from jail. In the clip, his supporters described him as a “lion” both inside and outside jail and boasted that he was a terror for “jihadis”.

Other videos showed men identifying themselves as members of Hindu Raksha Dal forcibly shutting chicken shops and non-vegetarian restaurants.

The arrests have also brought renewed attention to the Hindu Raksha Dal and its chief Chaudhary, who has faced numerous criminal cases over the years.

In July, following student-led protests at Jantar Mantar, Chaudhary and his associates released videos threatening to physically attack demonstrators.

The organisation itself was founded by Chaudhary in 2013 and has been associated with campaigns over cow protection, against interfaith relationships and alleged religious conversions.

During Saturday’s protests, some of the men confronting demonstrators also openly defended the use of violence. One of them, who said he had travelled from Uttar Pradesh, justified the attacks by claiming that those seeking to divide the country deserve to be beaten.