Sting op exposes UP politicians charge Rs 5 lakh to organise religious riots

New Delhi: In an atmosphere vicious with ‘intolerance’ and religious violence, an undercover operation by a journalist has exposed the underbelly of riot ridden Uttar Pradesh and laid bare the modalities that go into the manufacturing of such religious riots.

In a rare sting operation, an India Today journalist posed as an independent filmmaker, wanting to ensure maximum publicity for his ‘blasphemous’ documentary by creating a riot, which would ensure full media glare on his non-existent film.

Falling prey to the bait, Hindu Swabhiman Sangathan leader, Parminder Arya, reportedly assured the filmmaker that a riot would be managed and his film would receive the maximum publicity for an appropriate price.

Assuring that the film, that disputes India as the birthplace of Ram, would get maximum publicity, Arya described the modus operandi of the grand publicity stunt, “Some 50 (men) will reach there (to the screening for the protests). Fifty are enough … They will shout slogans that it is an anti-Ram film, slogans such as ‘Jo Ram Ka Nahin, Woh Kisi Kaam Ka Nahin’, ‘Ram Ka Apmaan, Nahin Sahega Hindustan’. They will break all your banners and posters."

Arya was in the limelight recently for giving ‘anti-jihad’ training in a UP school, and in his short encounter with the undercover journalist, he is seen claiming links with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

But the heretic nature of the film is the least that motivates Arya, for whom, its all about the remuneration, and also emphasised that a deed for deal be made in a matter of days.

Similar was the encounter with BJP MLA from Muzaffarnagar, Kapil Dev, who assured that the false documentary would get a grand riot propelled publicity. “We will make an issue out of your film. But your offer should strike me...Tell me the amount. What about the amount? What would you do about it?” he asked.

Samajwadi Party’s Haridwar Unit President, Hafiz Mohammed, also remained unperturbed when told that the film was anti-Islamic. “You want protests, slogans and what else?…Everything will be arranged. I’ll have to prepare 50 to 60 men... Five lakh (rupees),” Irfan said, but later backtracked on the entire episode.

Both BJP and SP spokespersons questioned the veracity of the sting and assured action after verifying the authenticity of the footage. The sting has given added impetus to the BSP and Congress for the decisive state legislative Assembly polls in 2017.