There has been a surge in anti-Muslim violence across India since the announcement of election results on June 4, according to a report by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR).
In the report which was released on Tuesday, July 2, the group has listed detailed incidents of lynching, communal violence, and state-backed demolitions of Muslim homes in the aftermath of the elections.
The APCR is an advocacy group composed of advocates, journalists, researchers, and paralegal volunteers dedicated to the advancement of civil and human rights in India.
Increasing violence, hate against Muslims
The report highlights eight lynchings, six mob violence, and three demolition incidents that occurred after the poll results were announced.
In Gujarat on June 22, a 23-year-old Muslim man identified as Salman Vohra, who had gone to watch a cricket match in Chikhodra was mercilessly beaten to death by a group fueled by their extremist ideology.
In Chhattisgarh’s Raipur on 7 June, three Muslim men were brutally attacked by a Hindutva mob.
The victims identified as Saddam Qureshi and his cousin Chand Miya Khan, both from Saharanpur district and Guddu Khan from the Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh were transporting cattle when they were allegedly chased and attacked by the Hindutva mob in Raipur. Two died on the spot, while another one who was in a coma died after 10 days.
In Aligarh on June 18, a 35-year-old Muslim man identified as Aurangzeb alias Farid, was brutally beaten to death by a group of Hindus, leading to communal tension in the communally sensitive city in western Uttar Pradesh. Shockingly, 10 days after the lynching, the deceased was booked by the Aligarh police for dacoity. While there has been no investigation into the mob violence.
The report also mentions two separate lynching incidents in Kolkata, where a Muslim man named Irshad Alam was tied up and beaten to death, and Prasen Mandal was lynched in the Salt Lake area.
Communal clashes
APCR report also documented several incidents of communal clashes targeting Muslims across the country, especially during Eid al Adha (Bakrid) on 17 June.
In Telangana’s Medak on June 15, several people were injured in an attack by a right-wing mob on a madrasa.
The management of Minhaj ul Uloom Madarsa had purchased cattle for sacrifice for Bakrid. Local members of right-wing organizations created a ruckus near the madrasa after the sacrificial animals were brought in. Soon, police reached the spot and dispersed the crowd.
In Odisha’s Balasore and Khordha, state administration imposed a curfew for over a week after communal scuffles, while a Hindutva mob who hit the streets to oppose animal sacrifice in the area was seen entering Muslim houses and vandalizing them.
In Himachal Pradesh’s Nahan on 19 June, a textile shop owned by a Muslim person was looted and vandalised by a large group of Hindus after the shopkeeper shared a picture of animal sacrifice on his WhatsApp status.
In a video that has emerged on social media platforms, the mob is seen forcibly opening the shop in the presence of police personnel. They throw out clothes from the shop as people cheer.
Communal tensions also flared up in Jodhpur’s Jalori Gate on June 22, resulting in stone pelting and leaving at least 16 injured. The incident occurred after the residents of the locality opposed the gate’s construction on the backside of the Eidgah saying that it would increase the movement of Muslims in that area.
Demolition of homes
At least 11 Muslim homes were demolished by Madhya Pradesh authority in Mandla district allegedly on the pretext of passion for cow meat. The police later justified the demolition by claiming the houses were built on government land.
On June 14, authorities in MP demolished the houses of four Muslim men who allegedly threw bovine remains at a temple in Jawra, Ratlam district. The MP High Court had granted a stay order around 2:30 pm, but the houses had already been demolished between 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm.
Another large-scale demolition was recently carried out in Akbarnagar locality in Uttar Pradesh’s capital city of Lucknow a few days after the Lok Sabha elections were announced in which Samajwadi party (SP) swept the majority giving a big blow to the BJP.
Pertinently, the Moradabad Development Authority (MDA) in Uttar Pradesh demolished six houses belonging to Muslim families accused of attempting to abduct a Hindu woman with whom one of the family members was reportedly in a relationship.
Muslim properties seized
In a series of incidents, Uttar Pradesh police have seized properties of Muslims allegedly either over “cattle smuggling” or beef selling.
In a fresh case, the UP authority in Pilibhit district confiscated a house and other property worth Rs 15,89,000, belonging to a Muslim man over allegations of selling beef.
In the same district, authorities confiscated property worth over Rs 1,00,00,000, belonging to a Muslim man over allegations of involvement in cattle smuggling.
Similarly, in UP’s Gonda district, police confiscated the properties of five Muslim men for their alleged involvement in cattle slaughter and trade.
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