In a video that went viral on social media, few members of the Hindu Extremist group visibly harassing a man have been caught on camera. The members are forcing the man to shout ‘Jai Shri Ram’. The man, a citizen of Nepal, was constantly made to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Nepal PM Murdabad’ in the video. The video first surfaced on Facebook on Wednesday, went viral and was widely circulated in both Indian and Nepalese media.
A case was registered in Bhelpur Police station in Varanasi on Friday after the video went viral. The members of the Hindu Extremist group are seen forcibly shaving the head of a Neplaese man in the video. The police have identified Arun Pathak, a coordinator of a local Hindu group, Vishwa Hindu Sena, as the main accused.
Viviek Chandra Tripathi, Superintendent of Police, Varanasi City said, “A video has gone viral in which Arun Pathak, a person who runs an organisation was seen tonsuring a man’s head. Pathak’s actions have been due to the anger over a statement by Nepal PM. A case has been registered and efforts are on to nab the person”, a report in the Times of India stated.
In the video, the Nepali man is seen sitting on a river bank as Pathak shaves his head. In the meantime a small cadre of the Hindu extremist outfit Vishwa Hindu Sena is seen instructing the man to chant slogans against Prime Minister Oli.
The cadre is seen chanting “Ram ki burai nahi chalegi” (Speaking ill of Ram won’t be tolerated) towards the end of the video.
On Friday, Nepal’s Ambassador to India, Nilambar Acharya, reached out to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in relation to the incident. CM Adityanath promised Acharya that a strict action would be taken against the perpetrators of the crime.
While addressing a function that marked the 207th birth anniversary of poet Bhanubhakta Acharya, Oli, on Monday accused India of cultural aggression and for distorting historical facts. He said that Ram was a Nepali as he was born in Ayodhya, which was actually near Thori in Nepal’s Birjung and not in India.
According to KathmanduPost, Nepal’s premier English daily, top leaders and foreign policy experts have begun speaking up against Oli’s foreign policy decisions vis-a-vis India.
Upendra Yadav, former deputy prime minister and foreign minister said, “it seems like prime minister is deliberately damaging Nepal-India ties,” the KathmanduPost reported.
The next day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nepal in a statement declared, “as there have been several myths and references about Shri Ram and the places associated with him, the Prime Minister was simply highlighting the importance of further studies and research of the vast cultural geography the Ramayana represents to obtain facts about Shri Ram, Ramayana and the various places linked to this rich civilization.”