Information on whether the Bajrang Dal was connected to riots in September 1995 could not be found among the sources consulted by the DIRB.

The Hindu (27 Aug. 1995) alleges that the Bajrang Dal is connected to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) while in a later article it refers to the group as "an organization of young musclemen trained to further Hindutva [Hindu lifestyle] by adopting threatening postures against the minorities" (29 Oct. 1995).

The Bajrang Dal has been alternately described by other sources as a "fascistic" Hindu communal organization (Journal of Democracy Oct. 1993), a Hindu militant organization with connections to the BJP and VHP (PTI News Agency 20 Aug. 1995), a militant arm of the VHP (Varta-Bharati 15 Apr. 1995), and a nationalist youth group (Hinduism Today 30 April 1996).

The Hindu states that Vinay Katiyar, an MP representing the BJP, who is also the joint secretary of the VHP, is in charge of the Bajrang Dal (27 Aug. 1995), while another source states that Benoy Katiar is the leader of the Bajrang party (Bartaman 8 Sept. 1994).

Following the destruction of the Ayodhya mosque in 1992, the central government announced a two-year ban on the Bajrang Dal (Journal of Democracy Oct. 1993, 67). In 1994, The Hindustan Times reported that the Bajrang Dal has been set up by the VHP and that members of the Bajrang Dal were being trained in the use of arms. (8 July 1994)

In July 1995, police twice used force to control crowds that included members of VHP and Bajrang Dal, who were performing a "cleansing ceremony" of the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, central India (DPA 31 July 1995). The Varanasi temple was also the site of a February 1995 demonstration of 25,000 members of the Bajrang Dal, the VHP and Durga Vahini (ibid. 27 Feb. 1995)

Please consult the attached articles from Jansatta (26 Aug. 1995) and The Hindu (27 Aug. 1995) for political commentary on the involvement of the Bajrang Dal in the religious conflicts over a temple in Mathura. Also attached is an India Today article (15 Sept. 1995) which provides additional information on the VHP's involvement in the conflicts. Please note that the BJP denies connection to the VHP and Bajrang Dal regarding the latter's position on the disputed mosques in Varanasi and Mathura (AJ 10 Aug. 1995).

Other recent events include public disturbances by the Bajrang Dal following the 24 April 1995 arrest of Sadhvi Ritambhara, a Hindu nun (Punjab Kesari 4 May 1995) and the release on bail of actor Sanjay Dutt, who was implicated in terrorist bombings (Reuters 17 Oct. 1995). In addition, youth activists of the Bajrang Dal held an annual conference in Allahabad on 21 January 1996 (Hinduism Today 30 April 1996).

More recently, the PTV Television Network announced that

the fanatic Hindu outfit, Bajrang Dal, has threatened that no Indian Muslim shall be allowed to perform hajj pilgrimage in case the Amarnath yatra [Hindu pilgrimage] was disturbed in Kashmir later this month. Bajrang Dal secretary said in Allahabad that more than 50,000 Dal activists are scheduled to join the yatra in Kashmir and that the Hindus shall now adopt a tit for tat policy against anti-Hindu forces. (8 Aug. 1996)

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

AJ [Varanasi, in Hindi]. 10 August 1995. Udayan Sharma. "Uttar Pradesh Minister Seen Moving Towards BJP." (FBIS-NES-95-172 6 Sept. 1995, [Internet] [Accessed 27 Aug. 1996])

Bartaman [Calcutta, in Bengali]. 8 September 1994. Pabrita Kumar Ghosh. "Hindu Nationalist Movement Direction, Vigor Analyzed." (JPRS-NEA-94-053 8 Sept. 1994, [Internet] [Accessed 27 Aug. 1996])

Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA). 31 July 1995. BC Cycle. "Skirmishes as Radical Hindus Move to 'Cleanse' Mosque in India." (NEXIS)

_____. 27 February 1995. BC Cycle. "Indian Holy City of Varanasi Tense as 25, 000 Hindus Offer Prayers." (NEXIS)

The Hindu [Madras]. 29 October 1995. Neena Vyas. "Lotus Losing Its Petals?" [Internet] [Accessed 27 August 1996])

_____. 27 August 1995. "Fanatics Work to a Plan." [Internet] [Accessed 27 August 1996])

Hinduism Today. 30 April 1996. Rajiv Malik. " A Sea of Seekers Floods the 1996 Mela at Allabad: A Month of Diversion and Devotion Draws Five Million Pilgrims to Bathe in Icy Sanctity." (Ethnic NewsWatch/NEXIS)

The Hindustan Times [Delhi, in English]. 8 July 1994. Ashok Vyas. "Article Names Muslim Groups in Kashmir, ISI Ties," (JPRS-TOT-94-029-L 8 July 1994, [Internet] [Accessed 27 Aug. 1996])

Journal of Democracy [Baltimore]. October 1993. Vol. 4, No. 4. Robert L. Hardgrave, Jr. "India: The Dilemmas of Diversity."

PTI News Agency [New Delhi, in English]. 20 August 1995. "Internal Affairs; Government Will Ensure Protection of All Religious Places'." (BBC Summary 22 Aug. 1995/NEXIS)

PTV Television Network [Islamabad, in English]. 8 August 1996. "India: PTV—Kashmiri Organizations Reject Indian Election Plan." (FBIS-NES-96-155 8 Aug. 1996, [Internet] [Accessed 27 Aug. 1996])

Punjab Kesari [Jalandhar, in Hindi]. 4 May 1995. Bhanu Pratap Shukla. "Arrest of Sadhvi Ritambhara Criticized." (FBIS-NES-95-119 21 June 1995, [Internet] [Accessed 27 Aug. 1996])

Reuters. 17 October 1995. BC Cycle. "Indian Star Leaves Jail as Cheering Fans Watch." (NEXIS)

Varta-Bharati [San Jose, CA]. 15 April 1995. "VHP to Launch Parallel Campaign." [Internet] [Accessed 27 Aug. 1996])

Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA). 31 July 1995. BC Cycle. "Skirmishes as Radical Hindus Move to 'Cleanse' Mosque in India." (NEXIS)

_____. 27 February 1995. BC Cycle. "Indian Holy City of Varanasi Tense as 25, 000 Hindus Offer Prayers." (NEXIS)

The Hindu [Madras]. 27 August 1995. "Fanatics Work to a Plan." [Internet] [Accessed 27 August 1996])

India Today [New Delhi]. 15 September 1995. Dilip Awasthi. "Mathura: Back From the Brink," pp. 56, 58-59.

Jansatta [New Delhi, in Hindi]. 26 August 1995. Prabhash Joshi. "Article Analyzes Sangh Parivar Motivations." (FBIS-NES-95-198 26 Aug. 1995, [Internet] [Accessed 27 August 1996])

Amnesty International. Selected Documentation. 1995-1996

AsiaWeek [Hong Kong]. Weekly. Sept. 1995.

DIRB Amnesty International India File. Sept.-Nov. 1995.

DIRB Indexed Media Review. Daily. Aug.-Oct. 1995.

DIRB India Country File. Sept. 1995.

Far Eastern Economic Review [Hong Kong]. Sept. 1995.

India Today [Delhi]. Fortnightly. Sept. 1995.

News From Human Rights Watch/Asia. Irregular publication. 1995-1996.

Political Handbook of the World. Yearly. 1994-1995.