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New Delhi: The Ghaziabad Police on Wednesday arrested ten members of the Hindu Raksha Dal (HRD) for allegedly distributing swords in a residential locality, triggering concerns over public order and communal tension.
According to police sources, cases have also been registered against the outfit’s president Pinki Chowdhary and more than two dozen unidentified individuals in connection with the incident.
Officials said they received specific information that HRD workers were handing out swords in the Shalimar Garden area of Ghaziabad. A police team was immediately dispatched to the spot, where ten people were taken into custody and multiple swords were seized.
During questioning, the arrested men reportedly told investigators that the weapons had been supplied by Chowdhary and were meant to be distributed among local residents. A video from the scene later surfaced on social media, showing saffron-clad youths brandishing swords and raising slogans targeting Muslims.
Police said the group claimed the swords were being handed out to enable Hindus to “protect themselves” from alleged attacks by members of another community. Authorities, however, maintained that such actions violated the law and posed a serious threat to public peace.
Law enforcement officials said CCTV footage from the area is being examined to identify everyone present at the gathering. “Strict action will be taken against all those involved,” a senior police officer in Ghaziabad said.
Apart from the ten arrests, cases have been filed against Chowdhary and several unidentified persons under relevant sections of the law, police added.
Meanwhile, controversial seer Yati Narsimhananda came out in support of Chowdhary, claiming the swords were meant for “self-protection.” Narsimhananda himself is facing multiple cases, including those related to alleged hate speech.
