PURNIMA BISHT | Dehradun Following actions against illegal Mazars, land Jihad, love Jihad and spit Jihad, the Uttarakhand government is executing Operation Kalnemi, a statewide crackdown on those allegedly exploiting Sanatana Dharma by disguising themselves as ascetics to deceive the public and exploit religious sentiments. Started on instructions of chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on July 10, this operation has resulted in the arrest of about 200 imposters in various parts of the State so far. The arrested men include about half a dozen non-Hindus and one Bangladeshi citizen. According to the police, the imposters have been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), depending on the criminal activity they were found indulging in. The operation has been named Kalnemi after the demon from Ramayana, who disguised himself as a saint to mislead lord Hanuman who was on a mission to save Lakshman. Dhami stated that Kalnemi’s character symbolises deceit behind a spiritual appearance, much like those being targeted in this operation. After major initiatives like the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), anti-conversion law and anti-riot law already introduced in Uttarakhand, Operation Kalnemi is being touted by the Bharatiya Janata Party as a sign of its commitment to protect Sanatan Dharma and preserve the original character of Uttarakhand. Being a land of spirituality with ancient religious heritage, Uttarakhand attracts crores of pilgrims to the Char Dham and other pilgrimage centres like Haridwar and Rishikesh, among others. It is also visited by many ascetics who stay across the State- from locations in the plains like Haridwar and Rishikesh to the Char Dham shrines located in the Himalaya. However, imposters have been misusing the deeply revered symbols of Sanatan Dharma for personal gain, as per Dhami. In the past four days, the police have arrested nearly 200 individuals from across Uttarakhand posing as ascetics under Operation Kalnemi. Such individuals reportedly scam the vulnerable and exploit people’s religious beliefs for financial benefit. They especially target women and children. According to the police, many also reportedly use this disguise to hide in Uttarakhand, as blending in among real ascetics is comparatively easy. Most of the persons arrested belong to Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Odisha, Rajasthan and Haryana, apart from Uttarakhand and other States. While some of the arrested individuals are Muslim, most of them are Hindu. According to the current data, the highest number of arrests have been made in Dehradun and Udham Singh Nagar districts so far. In Dehradun, police have arrested 111 individuals, including a Bangladeshi national who, according to Dehradun senior superintendent of police Ajai Singh, will be deported. In Udham Singh Nagar, police have arrested over 65 people who had disguised themselves as ascetics. The Udham Singh Nagar SSP Manikant Mishra said that many of these so-called babas were found involved in criminal activities. He said that even before the commencement of Operation Kalnemi, the police had arrested many individuals posing as ascetics in recent months for being involved in sexual exploitation and financial fraud across the district. He added that several people from other States have been living in the district’s border areas under the garb of sainthood while engaging in illegal activities. Police are identifying such individuals to take appropriate action, Mishra said. The inspector general of police and Uttarakhand Police spokesman Nilesh Anand Bharne told The Pioneer that as per the CM’s orders, all district in-charges have been directed to take action against those posing as ascetics and exploiting people’s faith. He stated that while the number of arrests is naturally higher in the plains than in the mountain districts, police are also conducting checks in remote areas to ensure no one can use the attire of an ascetic to commit crimes or hide in the State. At the same time, police officials are cautious not to unnecessarily trouble genuine ascetics because Uttarakhand is not targeting faith, it is trying to protect it from being misused, Bharne added. The drive is also significant as Uttarakhand shares borders with China and Nepal. Considering this, the presence of dubious characters indulging in criminal activities can affect more than the law and order situation.
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