The Haryana government has started issuing showcause notices to the gram panchayats and sarpanches who called for ‘boycott’ of Muslims following the recent violence against Hindus by Muslims in Nuh.

Several gram panchayats and sarpanches have been issued the showcause notices by their respective district authorities under Section 51 of the Haryana Gram Panchayati Raj Act, which pertains to the suspension and removal of a sarpanch or panch, The Indian Express has quoted officials as saying.

“We have taken the administrative action against the gram panchayats, their sarpanches, etc, and issued showcause notices to them. They [gram panchayats and sarpanches] shall send their replies, which will be examined. Further action shall be taken after examining the replies that they submit,” Rewari’s Deputy Commissioner Mohd. Imran Raza told The Indian Express.

On unconfirmed reports that FIRs have also been registered against some such gram panchayats and sarpanches in Rewari, Raza said, “As far as registering FIRs or taking legal action in the matter is concerned, only the Superintendent of Police shall be able to tell.”

Earlier Haryana Development and Panchayat Minister Devender Singh Babli had said strict action shall be taken against people calling for the ‘boycott’ of Muslims. “I am aware of this issue. In a few places, some people passed these kinds of resolutions. But I have given clear instructions to the district administrations of all such places that such an act is not permissible under the law and if any person is indulging in issuing such diktats, strict action shall be taken against such people as per the law,” the Minister had said.

The sarpanches of these villages had said that the main aim behind signing such resolutions was to “verify antecedents of street vendors, the majority of whom are from the Muslim community, in these areas, to curb increasing incidents of animal thefts and to avoid any confrontation because the situation in Nuh.”