English
Shamli, Apr 26: A Dalit man, who has converted to Islam, made Ghar Wapsi by reconverting to Hinduism on Tuesday. A day before, Pawan Kumar was allegedly assaulted by Bajrang Dal activist for converting to Islam and leaving Hinduism. Kumar underwent a Ghar Wapsi as per Hindu rituals and a local barber was called to shave his beard which he started growing after becoming Muslim.
Pawan Kumar, a welder, had converted to Islam around three weeks ago and started wearing a skullcap and growing a beard. On Tuesday, a video surfaced in which Kumar was seen beaten by some men. The video clip also showed someone from the crowd flicking a skullcap off his head. On Tuesday, some Bajrang Dal men “convinced” him to reconvert to Hinduism.
“We got information through media that Pawan Kumar was thrashed by some right-wing activists… These people went to him on Monday night and counselled him. On Tuesday, we contacted Pawan to come to us, but he did not. He said he would not take any legal action … Today, we again tried to talk to him, but he was not in his house,” Additional SP (Shamli) Shlok Kumar told Indian Express.
“We have been told that he converted because he is 34 years of age and unmarried. He was lured by some people to convert to Islam so he could get married to a Muslim girl,” the ASP added. However, Shamli SP Dev Ranjan Verma said that Pawan denied having converted to Islam. Verma said Kumar was not cooperating with the police adding that “some Bajrang Dal men conducted his shuddhikaran (purification)”.
Vivek Premi, an office bearer of the Bajrang Dal who had allegedly led the group to Kumar’s house on the day of the attack, said the Dalit man was lured to convert to Islam and they had gone to counsel him. “Some people got him converted to Islam, luring him with a job and marriage… But after we convinced him, he underwent Ghar Wapsi on Tuesday as per Hindu rituals,” Premi was quoted as saying.
Premi further denied the allegation that Bajrang Dal activist assaulted Kumar and said that some elderly local residents had slapped him. Premi was arrested in 2015 for allegedly parading a Muslim man through a market after blackening his face and assaulting him. He was charged under the National Security Act, however, the order was revoked by the Modi government in 2016.
For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest India News on India.com.
