On 31 July 2023 the Vishva Hindu Parishad's Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra was attacked with stones near Khedla Mod in Nuh, Haryana, and clashes spread across the district and into Gurugram, Faridabad and Palwal. Six people died, including two home guards and a deputy imam of a Gurugram mosque, according to Home Minister Anil Vij and PTI. Police registered 160 FIRs and arrested 393 people by 11 August, and the High Court stayed a demolition drive in Nuh, asking whether it was "ethnic cleansing".
Key takeaways
- The VHP's Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra was stopped and stoned near Khedla Mod in Nuh on 31 July 2023, police said, and violence spread to Gurugram, Faridabad and Palwal.
- Six people died, per the Haryana government and PTI, including two home guards and a deputy imam killed in a Gurugram mosque.
- Khattar called it a conspiracy, the VHP called it pre-planned, and many Nuh Muslims blamed provocation by cow vigilante Monu Manesar's video.
- On 7 August 2023 the High Court stayed the Nuh demolitions and asked whether "an exercise of ethnic cleansing is being conducted by the State". Haryana denied targeting any community.
- Congress MLA Mamman Khan and Monu Manesar were both arrested in September 2023 and later bailed.
Background: the yatra and the videos
The Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra is a Shravan month procession through temples in Nuh (also called Mewat), Haryana's only Muslim-majority district. In 2023 it was organised by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal and was flagged off from Gurugram's Civil Lines by BJP district president Gargi Kakkar, with a police contingent alongside Scroll.
Tension had been building for a week. Monu Manesar, a Bajrang Dal cow vigilante named in the chargesheet over the February 2023 killing of Nasir and Junaid from Rajasthan, released a video on 30 July announcing that he would join the yatra. He did not attend Tribune. Another vigilante, Bittu Bajrangi, allegedly released an inflammatory video Tribune.
Claim · Nuh residents Most Nuh residents who spoke to Al Jazeera blamed Manesar for the violence. One man from Nasir and Junaid's village said riots would not have taken place "if he had not released his video" Al Jazeera.
What happened
Attack at Khedla Mod
Police say a group of young men stopped the procession and threw stones, and at least four of its cars were burnt. People in the procession reportedly retaliated and clashes spread across Nuh Tribune. About 120 vehicles were damaged and 50 burnt, eight of them police vehicles Scroll.
Temple shelter, home guards killed
About 2,500 people sheltered in the Nalhar temple and were rescued, Vij said Scroll; the temple's head priest later said police kept the mob "at least a kilometre away" Scroll. Home guards Neeraj and Gursevak died when their vehicle was attacked and overturned, and a DSP was shot in the head Tribune. A mob also attacked the Nuh cybercrime police station, police say ThePrint.
Violence reaches Gurugram
Shops are vandalised and vehicles burnt at Sohna Chowk, allegedly by Bajrang Dal members Scroll.
Mosque attacked
A mob sets fire to the Anjuman mosque in Gurugram's Sector 57 and fires shots. Deputy imam Mohammad Saad is killed and another man shot in the leg, per the police FIR Tribune.
Curfew in Nuh, arson in Gurugram
Curfew is clamped in Nuh. About 60 shanties are burnt in Badshahpur and Muslim-owned shops vandalised at Pataudi Chowk and Manesar Tribune.
The deaths
Early counts rose from two to five. Khattar said on 2 August that six had died, two home guards and four civilians Kashmir Walla, citing agencies, and PTI has since reported six, "including two home guards and a cleric" Tribune/PTI. Besides the home guards and the imam, outlets named Abhishek of Panipat, who had joined the yatra and was killed near the Nalhar temple ThePrint, and Shakti of Bhadas village in Nuh Scroll. Scroll also listed a Bajrang Dal member Scroll.
Three positions
State government (Khattar)
Government's position Khattar called the violence unfortunate and said "there seems to be a big conspiracy behind this", adding that "some people conspired" to attack yatris and police DT Next/ANI. He promised compensation IANS. Appealing for peace on 2 August, he said: "It is not possible for the police, Army, or you and I to protect each and every one" Deccan Herald.
VHP and Bajrang Dal
Claim · VHP The VHP called the attack a "terror attack" and demanded an investigation by the National Investigation Agency. Its joint general secretary Surendra Jain alleged the attacks were carried out in a planned manner and were incited by Congress leaders Scroll. Jain, who was in the procession, told reporters that stones were thrown and shots fired within 15 minutes of it starting Organiser.
Muslim residents and leaders
Claim · Nuh residents Nuh's Muslims accuse the Hindu groups of starting the violence, while police and Hindu groups say the procession was attacked first Al Jazeera. Nuh's Congress MLA Aftab Ahmed criticised the demolitions, asking: "Will the instigators on the other side meet the same fate?" Tribune
What the police chargesheet says
Claim · Accused's statements A chargesheet filed on 24 November 2023 in the home guards' case attaches "confessional statements" of three accused. In them, they say the violence was a reaction to the Nasir-Junaid murders, police inaction against Manesar and rumours that he would join the yatra Tribune. These statements have not been tested at trial.
Curfew, shutdown, FIRs and arrests
A curfew was imposed in Nuh and Section 144 in other districts DT Next/ANI. Mobile internet in Nuh stayed off from 31 July until 13 August. The Home Department order cited "inflammatory material and false rumours" spreading on social media Tribune. Outlook/PTI
Official counts rose fast and differ by date and area. On 4 August Vij reported 102 FIRs, 202 arrests and 80 preventive detentions Tribune/PTI. By 11 August he reported 160 FIRs across Nuh, Gurugram, Faridabad, Palwal, Rewari, Panipat, Bhiwani and Hisar, 393 arrests and 118 preventive detentions Tribune/PTI. Nuh police alone counted 60 FIRs and 305 arrests by 30 August Tribune.
In the Gurugram mosque case, police booked about 100 people, 10 of them named Tribune. Bittu Bajrangi was arrested on 15 August on charges including rioting and assaulting public servants, and got bail on 30 August Scroll Tribune.
Claim · PUDR A 2024 report by the People's Union for Democratic Rights said 427 of 441 people arrested up to June 2024 were Muslims and alleged torture in custody The Quint. In early 2024 police added UAPA charges in three cases, including the home guards' killing Tribune. Aftab Ahmed said this was done "with malicious intent, just to deny bail" ThePrint.
The demolition drive and the High Court
From 4 August authorities razed shanties in Tauru and then structures at about nine sites across Nuh, including houses of accused people and buildings police said were used to attack the yatra Tribune. Government's position Khattar said the government had zero tolerance for encroachments Tribune. Deputy Commissioner Dhirendra Khadgata said: "Action is not being taken to target anyone. Our motive is to establish peace" The Wire, citing NDTV.
On 7 August a bench of Justices G.S. Sandhawalia and Harpreet Kaur Jeewan took suo motu notice of newspaper reports and stayed the drive. It noted that Vij had been quoted as calling bulldozers part of the "illaj" (treatment) LiveLaw. Its order said:
Apparently, without any demolition orders and notices, the law and order problem is being used as a ruse to bring down buildings without following the procedure established by law. The issue also arises whether the buildings belonging to a particular community are being brought down under the guise of law and order problem and an exercise of ethnic cleansing is being conducted by the State.
Punjab and Haryana High Court, suo motu order, 7 August 2023 (LiveLaw)
The court's words were a question, not a finding. In its affidavit, the Nuh deputy commissioner said due process was followed and there was no "pick and choose policy" based on religion. He put the total at 443 structures (162 permanent, 281 temporary) affecting 354 people, of whom 283 were Muslims and 71 Hindus LiveLaw. Hindustan Times had reported more than 750 buildings razed in four days The Wire, and Al Jazeera reported more than 1,000 properties, mostly Muslim-owned Al Jazeera.
In May 2024 the amicus curiae told the court the notices relied on by the state "does not inspire confidence", and the court sought the state's reply on compensation petitions LiveLaw. No final ruling was found in the reporting reviewed.
Mamman Khan and Monu Manesar
Police arrested Congress MLA Mamman Khan of Ferozepur Jhirka on the night of 14 to 15 September 2023, on the disclosure statement of a co-accused Scroll LiveLaw. Government's position The state told the High Court he had incited violence through a social media post the day before. His counsel called the arrest political. On 30 September a Nuh court gave him regular bail in two FIRs, noting "no post from social media account" of his inciting violence. On 3 October he got interim bail in the other two, the judge noting "no incriminating evidence available against him till date" LiveLaw. In October 2024 he was re-elected by 98,441 votes, the state's biggest margin National Herald.
Nuh police arrested Monu Manesar on 12 September 2023 under the IT Act over an August social media post that police said was meant to stir communal feeling before the second yatra Tribune TNM/IANS. He was handed to Rajasthan Police for the Nasir-Junaid case, and a Nuh court gave him bail in its case on 16 October 2023 Tribune. The Rajasthan High Court granted him bail in the murder case on 5 March 2026, and he was released after about two and a half years in custody Deccan Herald.
The yatra since 2023
On 28 August 2023 the administration refused permission for a "shobha yatra" to complete the procession, citing a G20 Sherpa meeting in Nuh. The VHP said no permission was needed Tribune/PTI. Police instead took more than 50 VHP and Bajrang Dal members to three temples in buses under heavy security TNM/IANS.
On 22 July 2024 the yatra was held under a 24-hour internet shutdown with over 2,000 police and paramilitary personnel. Members of the Muslim community welcomed participants at Tiranga Chowk Deccan Herald/PTI. The 2025 yatra on 14 July had about 2,500 personnel on duty and another internet suspension, and Bittu Bajrangi was refused permission to take part Sunday Guardian.
Outcome
- Deaths: Six, per the state government and PTI.
- Cases and arrests: 160 FIRs and 393 arrests by 11 August 2023; 441 arrests by June 2024, per PUDR.
- Curfew and internet: Curfew in Nuh; mobile internet off for two weeks.
- Demolitions: 443 structures per the state, over 750 per Hindustan Times; stayed on 7 August 2023.
- UAPA: Added in three cases in early 2024.
Where things stand
No verdict in the main murder cases was found in the reporting reviewed. Claim · Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind In February 2025 Radiance reported that a Nuh sessions court acquitted two adults and the Juvenile Justice Board acquitted five juveniles in one case for lack of evidence. Jamiat, which defended them, said it was handling 663 Nuh violence cases and that 645 people had got bail Radiance.
Questions people ask
What happened in Nuh on 31 July 2023?
Police say the VHP's Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra was stopped and stoned near Khedla Mod. Clashes spread across Nuh and into Gurugram, Faridabad and Palwal.
How many people died in the Nuh violence?
Six, according to the Haryana government and PTI, including two home guards and a Gurugram mosque's deputy imam. Some reports say five.
What was Monu Manesar's role?
He posted a video saying he would join the yatra, which many residents blamed for the tension, but he did not attend. He was arrested in September 2023 over a later post.
What did the High Court say about the Nuh demolitions?
It stayed them on 7 August 2023 and asked whether "an exercise of ethnic cleansing is being conducted by the State". This was a question, not a finding; Haryana said due process was followed.
Has the yatra been held again?
Yes, a restricted temple visit in August 2023 and the full yatra in July 2024 and July 2025, under heavy security and internet shutdowns.
Sources
- Tribune: Clashes over religious procession in Haryana's Nuh, 2 Home Guard men die, 1 Aug 2023
- Scroll: At least four killed in violence during Hindutva group procession in Nuh, 1 Aug 2023
- Scroll: Communal violence in Haryana kills five, what we know so far, 1 Aug 2023
- DT Next/ANI: Khattar suspects conspiracy behind Nuh violence, 1 Aug 2023
- IANS via Morung Express: Communal violence in Nuh unfortunate, conspired, says Haryana CM, 1 Aug 2023
- Tribune: Naib imam killed in mosque attack, nearly 100 booked, 2 Aug 2023
- Tribune: Gurugram, Nuh remain tense as fresh violence takes toll to 5, 2 Aug 2023
- Kashmir Walla: Six dead, 116 arrested in Nuh violence, says Haryana CM, 2 Aug 2023
- Deccan Herald: Govt can't protect everyone, says Haryana CM Khattar, 2 Aug 2023
- Scroll: VHP, Bajrang Dal protest across Delhi against Nuh violence, 2 Aug 2023
- Organiser (RSS-linked weekly): VHP demands an NIA probe, 1 Aug 2023
- Tribune/PTI: Over 200 arrested, 102 FIRs lodged, says Vij, 4 Aug 2023
- Tribune: Demolitions continue in Nuh, 9 sites cleared, 5 Aug 2023
- LiveLaw: High Court asks if Nuh-Gurugram demolitions are an exercise of ethnic cleansing, 7 Aug 2023
- The Wire: 'Ruse for ethnic cleansing?' HC halts demolitions in Nuh, 8 Aug 2023
- Tribune/PTI: 393 held, 160 FIRs registered, internet suspension extended, 11 Aug 2023
- Outlook/PTI: Mobile internet restored in Nuh two weeks after violence, 14 Aug 2023
- Al Jazeera: Who is Monu Manesar?, 14 Aug 2023
- Scroll: Bittu Bajrangi arrested, 16 Aug 2023
- LiveLaw: Nuh demolitions carried out as per law, Haryana tells High Court, 18 Aug 2023
- Tribune/PTI: Shobha yatra, security tightened in Nuh, 27 Aug 2023
- Tribune: Bittu Bajrangi granted bail, 30 Aug 2023
- Tribune: Wanted for 'inciting' Nuh riots, Monu Manesar held, 13 Sept 2023
- The News Minute/IANS: Monu Manesar arrested over social media post, 13 Sept 2023
- LiveLaw: Mamman Khan gets interim bail in two FIRs, 3 Oct 2023
- Scroll: Mamman Khan gets bail in two cases, 3 Oct 2023
- Tribune/PTI: Court grants bail to Monu Manesar in Nuh violence case, 16 Oct 2023
- Tribune: Angst over Nasir-Junaid murder triggered Nuh violence, says chargesheet, 8 Dec 2023
- Tribune: Six months on, police slap UAPA on 20 riots accused, 19 Feb 2024
- ThePrint: Haryana Police cite UAPA against 80 accused in 3 cases, 20 Feb 2024
- LiveLaw: High Court seeks Haryana's response on compensation pleas, 2 May 2024
- Deccan Herald/PTI: Braj Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra begins in Nuh amid tight security, 22 July 2024
- The Quint: One year of Nuh violence, PUDR report, 7 Aug 2024
- National Herald: Gap of 98,000 votes in Ferozepur Jhirka, 9 Oct 2024
- Radiance: Seven, including five juveniles, acquitted in Nuh violence case, Feb 2025
- Sunday Guardian: Haryana tightens security in Nuh ahead of Braj Mandal Yatra, 14 July 2025
- Deccan Herald: Monu Manesar returns to village after getting bail, 8 Mar 2026