| Hindu Yuva Vahini | |
|---|---|
| Founder | Yogi Adityanath |
| Foundation | April 2002; 23 years ago (2002-04) |
| Dissolved | 3 August 2022; 3 years ago (2022-08-03) |
| Headquarters | Gorakhpur, India |
| Ideology | Hindutva |
| Political position | Right-wing |
| Website | hinduyuvavahini |
TheHindu Yuva Vahini was aHindutva militant organisation.[1][2] The group was founded in April 2002, on the day ofRama Navami byYogi Adityanath. The organisation is headquartered inGorakhpur.[3][4]
Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV) describes itself as “A fierce cultural and social organisation dedicated to Hindutva and nationalism.” Its stated objectives are: “the integration of and mutual good faith within the massive Hindu society, through the complete abolishment of the differentiation between touchable-untouchable and high-low, promote the harmonious development of society.”[5] However, in reality,cow vigilante violence, violence related to theLove jihad conspiracy theory, and performingHindu religious conversions were the top priorities of the Hindu Yuva Vahini.[6][7]
The organisation was disbanded on 3 August 2022.[8][9]
The organisation has been involved incommunal violence.[10] The Hindu Yuva Vahini has been charged by the police in theMau riots of October 2005, where they organized the Hindu forces in opposition to a politicianMukhtar Ansari, the alleged murderer ofBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state legislature memberKrishnanand Rai (later acquitted of the murder in 2019).[11][12]Charges of inciting riots, murder, and arson were brought against Hindu Yuva Vahini leaders, along with Ansari and some others in the opposite camp. Eventually, a curfew was imposed on Mau for nearly a month.[13]
In January 2007, they were accused ofburning mosques, homes, buses and trains in Gorakhpur when claims of theGorakhpur temple being attacked emerged. This led to the arrest of Yogi Adityanath and 130 other members.[14] After these arrests, the members were suspected of setting ablaze two coaches of theMumbai bound Mumbai-Gorakhpur Godan Express.[15]
The organization was charged withburning an entire Muslim family to death in Vatoli,Adilabad,Telangana (then Andhra Pradesh) in 2008. However,Adilabad DistrictSessions Court judge Aruna Sarika quashed the case against all the nine accused arrested in this connection, all members of this organization, due to lack of proper technical and scientific evidence produced by the Indian investigation agencyCB CID.[16]
He founded the youth militia Hindu Yuva Vahini, known for its violent activities in the sub-region of Poorvanchal in eastern UP.