Swami Agnivesh, a nationally prominent 79-year-old social activist, was slapped, kicked around and verbally abused in Jharkhand's Pakur town today by a mob, which he said belonged to BJP-affiliated youth groups who accused him of speaking against Hindus.
In Ranchi, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das ordered a probe into the incident.
Agnivesh was attacked in Pakur as he came out after addressing a press conference. He was going to Littipara to attend a function of the Pahariya tribe.
He was in Pakur, about 350 km from the state capital Ranchi, to attend an event of the Akhil Bharatiya Adim Janjatiya Vikas Samiti, a body of tribals..
"As soon as I came out of the venue, BJYM and ABVP activists attacked me without any provocation. They alleged that I was speaking against Hindus," Agnivesh told PTI.
He was admitted to a hospital in Pakur after the assault and could be seen nursing his injuries.
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A video of the alleged attack with a large crowd thrashing the social activist and his supporters did the rounds of social media and TV channels.
After beating him up, activists raised the slogan, "If one wants to live in India, one has to chant Vande Mataram".
Asked about the incident, Superintendent of Police Shailendra Prasad Burnwal said he did not have any prior information about Agnivesh's programme in the district.
However, Agnivesh told TV channels that he had informed the chief minister and the governor about his programme. He said his team had also written to the district administration informing it about the visit. "My colleagues have proof," he claimed.
"The attackers were gathering at the venue so how were the police unaware of it?" he asked.
In Ranchi, the chief minister asked the principal secretary (home) to inquire into the incident, according to a government release.
Agnivesh alleged that the attack was "pre-planned". "There cannot be an attack without rhyme or reason," he said.
The assault came on a day the Supreme Court said that "horrendous acts of mobocracy" cannot be allowed to overrun the law of the land.
It asked Parliament to consider enacting a new law to sternly deal with mob lynching and cow vigilantism.