A map of undivided India is painted on the wall outside the home of Yogesh Raj, the prime accused in the murder of police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh in Bulandshahr and variously described as a nice human being, a patriot and a messiah for Hindus.

The map, in which Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Myanmar are shown as parts of India, underlines the year when India was divided.

Yogesh, 24, joined the Bajrang Dal as a member in 2016 and rose to become its district convener eight months ago.

In the two FIRs registered in the case, Yogesh is the complainant who alleged cow slaughter while he is the prime accused for the murder of the inspector. In his FIR Yogesh has named seven persons, including two minors.

He has been on the run since Monday night.

In the FIR the police have alleged that Yogesh had led around 500 people and incited them to attack policemen. “Despite several request by the deceased inspector he continued inciting the crowd against the police,” the FIR in Hindi said.

Yogesh’s aunt Bhoori Devi said he was an active Bajrang Dal member and recently became the district convener. “But he was not involved in inciting the violence that led to the death of the police officer. He is a very peace-loving person, achchha insaan hai (he is a nice human being),” she claimed.

Bhoori alleged that the police raided her house late on Monday night and assaulted her husband Ram and son Sonu before dragging them to the police station. “Policemen came to our house at midnight and also beat me up,” she said.

Her daughter Suman, 16, said “Yogesh bhai” and his party had been “helping Hindus” in the village and adjoining areas.

A map of “akhand Bharat (undivided India)” Picture by Prem Singh

The police vehicle in which inspector Subodh Kumar Singh was seated when the crowd attacked with stones, forcing him to flee. The crowd later set the vehicle on fire in Syana in Bulandshahr on Monday. Picture by Prem Singh

“He and other Bajrang Dal members not only immediately look into incidents of cow lynching, which are heinous, but also are the first to help when we need them. They reach even before the police or the administration,” she said.

Yogesh’s neighbour Anju, a college student, said it was only because of the Bajrang Dal that there were no incidents of teasing in the area. “Earlier, youths in the area, especially Muslims, used to harass us regularly.”

Yogesh, who used to work in a private firm in Bulandshahr, quit the job last year to dedicate himself fully to the cause of Hindutva, his friends in the village said.

“He is now pursuing an LLB from a nearby college but hardly attends classes. The teachers know him well and they have assured him that attendance will not be a problem and that he should continue with his nationalist work,” Anju said.

Leaders of the Bajrang Dal and the VHP organise awareness programmes regularly in the area and recently launched a drive — “akhand Bharat” — to motivate youths for the cause.

“The idea behind this drive is to motivate youths and make them think about undivided India to ensure that there is no further division on any

ground and also to get the countries that had seceded back into its folds,” said a Bajrang Dal member in Bulandshahr.

He said that through the drive students, who are the future of the country, are taught about the rich history of India and are also administered an oath to protect the country from further division.

“The main idea behind such a drive is to catch them young and instil the feeling of patriotism,” he said.

Yogesh, he said, was a bright leader and was totally devoted to the cause.