A group of inebriated men attacked a Muslim man, forced him to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram‘ and threatened to cut off his beard in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal region.
A video of the incident has emerged on social media platforms where Rizwan is attacked by three men – Mukesh Bhatt, Manish Bisht and Naveen Bhandari.
Much older than his attackers, he was repeatedly slapped and abused by the trio, forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram‘ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai.‘
One of the attackers can be heard saying, “It’s the rule of Hindus here, say Jai Shri Ram.“
Another threatens him with beheading, saying, “Tum halal karke kaat te ho, hum tumhe jhatka karke kaatenge” (You slaughter animals with halal, we will cut you with jhatka).”
At one point, one of the attackers asks for a blade to cut off Rizwan’s beard. The elderly Muslim man, visibly scared, obeys their demands.
Senior superintendent of police Lokeshwar Singh confirmed the incident to Siasat.com and said that it occurred on Independence Day. “The victim and his attackers are locals employed as contract workers for the Indian Railways. We have arrested Mukesh Bhatt, Manish Bisht and Naveen Bhandari. A case under criminal intimidation has been registered.
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