In yet another incident of attacks on minorities, a Muslim man named Irfan Ansari, who runs a private coaching institute in Delhi’s Sahkurpur area, was reportedly attacked and thrashed by a right-wing Hindu outfit leader, over allegations of religious conversion.
The incident took place on July 4, following a dispute between Irfan Ansari and a student’s parent over tuition fees. The disagreement escalated with the parent accusing Ansari of attempting to convert students at his coaching centre, prompting a violent attack by a right-wing mob.
Following the attack, Ansari received death threats. Fearing their lives, Ansari’s family reportedly fled their home and took shelter at their relative’s house.
This incident is the latest in a series of attacks targeting Christian and Muslim-owned businesses and institutions across the country. The radical Hindu groups, fueled by their extremist ideology have been accused of orchestrating attacks on minorities to create an atmosphere of fear and hostility.
In this case, the Delhi police have filed an FIR in connection with the attack on Ansari’s coaching centre. However, concerns remain about the safety and security of minority communities in the country, as such incidents continue to occur with alarming frequency.
Muslims targeted over allegations of religious ‘conversion’
On February 23, allegations of religious conversion and ‘Love Jihad’ emerged against three Muslim teachers – Shabana, Firoz Khan, and Mirza Mujahid, at the Government Senior Secondary School at Khajuri Odpur village in Sangod, Kota district.
Later, several students of a government school in Khajuri Odpur village in the Kota district of Rajasthan came forward against the suspension of Muslim teachers, claiming that false accusations were levelled against them.
On April 4, a group of people from the Hindu community in Rajasthan’s Beawar area protested against a madarsa claiming that it was involved in religious conversion.
A video emerged on social media platforms showing the protest. It shows the Hindu protestors using derogatory words against the Muslim community. “Bahari m***, maulwiyon ko band kro (stop the entry of Islamic preachers),” they are heard sloganeering.
On June 24, the members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged a protest in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain at Vikram University against a Muslim professor, alleging that he was promoting Islam and targeting Hindu students.
Christians targeted
On January 28, a Christian couple was allegedly beaten up by a Hindutva mob who accused them of forceful religious conversion in Karnataka’s Bijapur district. The right-wing groups also ran a campaign against the couple on various social media platforms.
On April 6, WhatsApp rumours fueled a saffron mob attack on a Christian missionary school in Telangana’s Mancherial district. Subsequently, a fact-finding team visited the site and found that the parent of a boy who had been expelled for indiscipline last year instigated the attack.
On June 13, three men belonging to the Christian community were brutally thrashed by Bajrang Dal members over suspicion of religious conversions in Chikhali village of Pune district in Maharashtra.
On July 5, a mob of Hindutva outfits, led by a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader, attacked Christians in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur over allegations of forced religious conversion.
According to reports, the incident took place when a group of Christians had gathered for a prayer meeting at a private residence. The furious mob, led by VHP leader Rajesh Singhal, barged into the house, and attacked those present in the meeting, accusing them of engaging in forced conversions.
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