Nepalese tonsured in UP, forced to chant "Jai Shri Ram"
In a deplorable incident, a youth, said to be a citizen of Nepal, was tortured in Uttar Pradesh and forced to chant "Jai Shri Ram." The incident is being viewed as a fallout of the Nepalese Prime Minister KP Oli's remark that the Hindu deity belonged to his country. It happened in Varanasi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In the video, uploaded by Arun Pathak, the convener of fringe outfit Vishwa Hindu Sena, the victim can be seen sitting on the banks of a river, without a shirt. While a barber shaved his head, men surrounding him raised slogans condemning Oli. The miscreants also wrote "Jai Shri Ram" on the man's shaved head, and forced him to speak against Oli.
"The Nepalese PM did not provide us livelihood so we came to India to earn. Why are you snatching our rights? So many Nepalese went abroad to earn a living. India provided us support," the man can be heard saying in the clip.
This happened in Varanasi, UP.
— Md Asif Khan (@imMAK02) July 17, 2020
Nepali man tonsured, forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and anti-Nepal slogans.
‘Jai Shri Ram’ was also written on the man’s scalp by the members of Hindutva outfit. pic.twitter.com/pJSfib6ywY
Beaming with pride after torturing the man, Pathak wrote on Facebook, "Jai Shri Ram would be written on heads of many Nepalese so that Oli would never speak against Lord Rama." He also warned Oli that thousands had sacrificed their lives for the construction of Rama Temple in Ayodhya. The video, naturally, evoked angry reactions in social media circles of Nepal.
Before committing the crime, Pathak had issued a warning on Facebook, telling Oli that if he doesn't take his words back, Nepalese in "India will suffer." Taking cognizance of the matter, Varanasi Police informed an FIR was registered under IPC Sections 505 (2) and 295, Section 67 of the IT Act at the Bhelupur Police station. Reportedly, one person has been arrested.
Meanwhile, Nepal's Ambassador to India, Nilamber Acharya spoke to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath seeking action against the perpetrators. Both sides agreed this incident would not affect ties between India and Nepal. Dr. Vijay Chauthaiwale, the in-charge of the foreign affairs department in BJP, condemned the incident. "FIR has been registered against the main accused and he is absconding," he tweeted earlier today.
To recall, Oli sparked a row this week by saying Lord Rama had Nepalese origins. "Ayodhya is a village a little west (of) Birgunj," he had said. Soon, several senior Nepalese politicians slammed Oli for his senseless remarks. In fact, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also released a statement saying the intention was never to hurt anyone.
