GURUGRAM: Mirroring developments across the country, Gurugram has seen a sudden spurt in the rise of “fringe groups” over the past year. Most of these are a handful of super-charged men who keep switching political allegiances at the drop of a hat to stay relevant, and are found escalating rhetoric and violence wherever there is a small, local discord.TOI tried to find if the hate politics being exercised has any link with the state and General Elections scheduled next year, or if these men are just seeking limelight. It all started in September last year, when a few men, claiming to belong to the Shiv Sena — whose base is in and around Mumbai — forced shut shops and street food joints selling meat and meat products across Gurugram during Navratri . Headed by Rituraj Agarwal, the self-proclaimed Shiv Sainiks threatened meat sellers.Eventually, police had to be deployed across markets in Gurugram later that day to protect these establishments. However, the next day, Shiv Sena released an official statement that “there’s no spokesperson by this name in Shiv Sena. We didn’t carry out any such drive in Gurugram”.A year later, the same group have again hit the headlines by trying to shut meat shops during Hindu festivities. The only difference is they are now part of another group — Hindu Sena — which claims among its achievements vandalising of nightclubs in Goa, protesting performances of Pakistani artistes’ in Gurugram, etc. Once again, Agarwal was found leading the drive to shut meat shops in sectors 21, 22, 23, Palam Vihar, Om Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Fazilpur , Behrampur and Badshapur.Just before this, during the summer months of April and June, Rashtriya Samyukt Hindu Sangarsh Samiti, an umbrella organisation of Hindu outfits, claimed centre-stage during the heated row over namaz in public places. Headed by Mahabir Bhardwaj, the group objected to Muslims praying in open areas. The matter was eventually sorted, with district administration allotting dedicated spaces for Muslims to pray. They too resurfaced last month, to object to namaz being offered at an unauthorised building near Sheetla Mata colony. MCG has since sealed the building, but by then, the outfit had gained what it probably aimed for — free publicity and notoriety.The bigger question that arises is where these fringe outfits are suddenly emerging from. Because — whether it is the accusation made by Opposition parties that the Hindutva politics of the BJP governments at the state and the Centre is behind their rise, or that they are eyeing a pie of the political game in the 2019 General Elections — it will be Gurugram’s cosmopolitan character that will take a beating if these miscreants have their way.