In yet another incident highlighting the growing intolerance and hate against minorities, Muslims have faced violent attacks past week over the accusations of beef selling or transporting cattle across the country.
In one alarming incident, far-right political youth wing Lachit Sena members harassed a roadside restaurant staff and accused them of selling beef. The group forced the Muslim staff to kneel as a form of public humiliation.
The incident took place in Assam’s Morigaon town on September 26.
A video clip of the incident that has surfaced on social media shows the group forcing the Muslim staff to kneel and hold their ears as a form of public humiliation. The group further went on to harass other people nearby the restaurant, accusing them of complicity for not interviewing in the alleged sale of beef.
In a separate incident that took place in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba on Thursday, Bajrang Dal cow vigilantes harassed members of a nomadic tribal group for transporting cattle.
In Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim-owned vegetarian restaurant was raided by police accompanied by members of the Bajrang Dal on Thursday over accusations that the owner had concealed his identity. Authorities have sent food samples to a lab for testing.
In New Delhi’s Vinod Naga BJP, councillor Ravinder Singh Negi was caught harassing and forcing Muslim shopkeepers in Vinod Nagar to display their names on store signs, claiming they are misleading Hindu customers. He was also seen asking a Muslim fast food stall to relocate, citing objections from Hindus in the area to the sale of non-vegetarian food.
In Bihar’s Supaul, a Muslim man identified as Mohammed Naseem was physically attacked by a mob in Triveniganj over suspicion of carrying beef.
In a viral video, a group is seen being checked by the group and physically assaulting him.
In another incident that occurred in Maharashtra’s Thane on September 24, a Hindutva mob assaulted a Muslim man and falsely accused him of mixing urine in food.
In a video, one of the assailants is heard saying “Yai Muslaman Mutr Jihad aur Love Jihad kar rahe hai (These Muslims are engaging in ‘Urine Jihad’ and ‘Love Jihad’.)”.
These incidents are part of a disturbing pattern that raises critical questions about communal harmony and the treatment of minorities in India.
Earlier, many politicians including senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi have accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of encouraging violence in the nation and enabling such incidents to occur. Gandhi noted that such incidents show that there is growing intolerance of minorities under the present regime.
Civil society has responded with considerable protest as people have become increasingly concerned with the sensationalisation of violence against Muslims. Slamming far-right BJP politician Nitesh Rane, AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel recently took out a mass rally in Mumbai and urged citizens to unite against these forces of hatred and violence.
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