India’s Supreme Court took a firm stance on Thursday in response to the unfolding economic boycott targeting Muslims in the troubled regions of Nuh and Gurugram within Haryana, terming it ‘unacceptable.’ Concurrently, the Court suggested the establishment of a committee, led by the Director General of Police (DGP), to investigate cases arising from the communal unrest. This move was paralleled by a strong emphasis on the necessity of nurturing mutual understanding and harmony between the Muslim and Hindu communities.

These regions have been marred by a series of conflicts, originating from a procession organized by the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) that was prevented from proceeding towards a temple on July 31. In response, the VHP announced its intentions to stage protests against the backdrop of the violence. Attempts were made to curtail conflict via an appeal to the Supreme Court for a stay order. However, on August 2, the Court declined to impose a stay on the protests, instead issuing directives to the State government and the Delhi police to ensure that the protest rallies remained free from hate speech or violence.

The aftermath of this violence has left a trail of consequences, including an ongoing internet ban, the destruction of mosques, the demise of a Muslim cleric, and the demolition of approximately 1,200 structures by the Haryana government, predominantly owned by members of the Muslim community. In light of the apparent skewed nature of these demolitions, the Punjab and Haryana High Court expressed apprehensions about the potential for “ethnic cleansing” and consequently issued a directive to suspend any further actions of this nature.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to take up the matter once again on August 18 for further deliberations.