Hindu Raksha Dal chief, son arrested in UP for distributing swords

New Delhi: Police in Uttar Pradesh arrested a Hindutva leader and his son for allegedly distributing swords in a residential colony in Ghaziabad.

Raksha Dal’s national president Bhupendra Chowdhry, alias Pinki (50), and his son Harsh Chowdhry were arrested on Tuesday from the city’s Shalimar Garden Colony, and were remanded to 14-day judicial custody, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Trans Hindon) Nimish Patil, Scroll reported.

It is reported that ten members of the outfit were also arrested in connection with the case on December 27.

Police took action after videos began circulating on social media showing the group’s members handing out and displaying swords.

Chowdhry was heard in the video saying that Hindus needed swords to defend themselves in view of ‘the way our Hindu brothers have been killed in Bangladesh’.

He was referring the killing of Dipu Chandra Das by a mob in Bangladesh a few days ago after accusing him of blasphemy.

The FIR said that members of the Hindu Raksha Dal shouted communal slogans in a rally in the area flourishing weapons.