Hindu Sena member arrested over defacement of USA embassy signage

PTI, Apr 3, 2022, 8:54 AM IST

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New Delhi: A member of right-wing outfit ‘Hindu Sena’ was arrested on Saturday for alleged defacement of a signboard of the United States of America embassy here by pasting a poster over it warning the Biden administration against “bullying India”, officials said.

He has been identified as Pawan Kumar, a resident of Rajiv Camp, East Arjun Nagar near Karkardooma Court here, they said.

The arrest comes a day after Delhi Police registered an FIR against unidentified people for alleged defacement of the signboard of the USA embassy.

Hindu Sena had claimed that it pasted the warning poster on the signboard.

The poster read, “Unreliable Biden Administration…Stop bullying India…We don’t need you…USA need(s) India against China. We are proud of all disciplined and brave Indian Armed forces…” Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Amrutha Guguloth said, ”On Friday, information (about the defacement of the signboard) was received at around 10.15 pm. Our police team rushed to the spot and found the alleged poster on the said signboard. The poster was removed immediately.” Later, a case under the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act was registered, she said.

”An accused, named Pawan Kumar, has been arrested in connection with the case,” the DCP said.

“During interrogation, he disclosed that on Friday, he, along with his (outfit) president Vishnu Gupta, arrived near the US embassy and on instructions of Gupta, he pasted a poster at signage of the embassy. Gupta uploaded the video of the act on social media,” she said.

Guguloth said technical surveillance is being carried out to nab Hindu Sena national president Vishnu Gupta who is a co-accused in the case, adding he has been untraceable so far.

After the arrest of Kumar, Gupta, in a statement, alleged that Delhi Police ”illegally” raided the Gurugram residence of the outfit’s national vice president Surjit Yadav (60) and Delhi secretary Pawan and has detained them at Chanakyapuri Police Station.

Delhi Police have seized their identity cards and are not allowing their family members to meet them, he alleged.

”Delhi Police forcefully extracted confessions against me from the two Hindu Sena volunteers and is trying to gain points in media by unnecessarily vigilance against nationalist organization in a bailable offense,” Gupta said.

However, Delhi Police refuted the allegations.

”No one has been illegally detained and the arrested accused has already been bailed out. Further investigation is in process,” the DCP said.

Gupta, in a statement on Friday, had claimed that members of his outfit protested against the ”continuous bullying of India by the US President Joe Biden administration.” He also alleged that the Biden administration has failed to revive the American economy hit by the Covid pandemic and has been actively involved in escalating the Ukraine-Russia Crisis.

”India doesn’t need a history lesson from a country that invaded Yugoslavia and Iraq even without a United Nations’ approval and has destroyed at least a dozen countries for not bending their knee to ‘American imperialism’,” Gupta said.

He further alleged that the Biden administration is not in favor of “giving” veto power to India in the United Nations Security Council.