NEW DELHI: Hindu Raksha Dal chief Bhupinder Tomar alias Pinki Chaudhary, accused of raising communal slogans at a rally in Jantar Mantar, was arrested on Tuesday. Incidentally, a video had gone viral on Monday in which Chaudhary had announced that he would surrender at the Connaught Place police station on Tuesday afternoon.
The police had registered a case against Chaudhary and others after a video of anti-Muslim sloganeering during a protest at Jantar Mantar on August 8 was widely circulated on social media. The event was organised by former BJP spokesperson Ashwini Upadhyay, who is out on bail. While eight people were already arrested, Chaudhary had been evading police till Monday. Police had raided several places in Delhi and neighbouring states to arrest Chaudhary.
On Friday, the Delhi High Court had refused to grant him interim protection from arrest. Earlier, a sessions court had also dismissed anticipatory bail application of the right-wing leader. Before he was taken into custody, a garlanded Chaudhary was carried on shoulders by his supporters on the way to the police station at Mandir Marg.
In the video that surfaced online on Monday, Chaudhary had denied all allegations against him. The right-wing had claimed in the short video that he would surrender before the police on Tuesday and cooperate in the investigation.
“I never run away from being arrested. It is the right of every person to go to court and I did the same. I want to tell you that all the allegations against me are false and baseless,” Chaudhary said in the clip lasting a little over a minute. “It is the right of every person to go to court and I did the same. All the allegations against me are false and baseless. I have devoted my life towards Hinduism and Hindutva. As long as I am alive, I will continue to work for my religion.”