In the month of July, a series of religiously motivated incidents across the nation has highlighted the discrimination faced by a particular community. From Jharkhand to Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Bihar, these events portray a troubling pattern of mob violence and religious discord. To bring these events in light Foej Media presents before you the listicle of the violence and discriminations
Jharkhand Lynching Controversy: Police Deny Communal Angle, Outrage in the Community
In a tragic incident, an imam was reportedly lynched by a mob who accused him of allegedly attacking a Hindu woman on July 3 in Jharkhand’s Koderma while returning home. The victim, identified as Maulana Akbar Hussain, was reportedly attacked at around 2 p.m. while returning home after leading prayer.
The imam was returning home on his bike, and on his way, his vehicle hit an auto-rikshaw carrying a Hindu woman, Anita Devi, along with her husband and brother-in-law. The accident resulted in a major injury to Anita Devi.
However, his husband and brother-in-law started accusing Imam of her condition. Eyewitnesses said that soon after the accident, a furious mob came and started hitting Imaam on his face and other parts of his body with bats and rods.
Despite his protests, they brutally assaulted him. Later, Hussain was found by passersby and rushed to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Reportedly, the local police have lodged a probe into the lynching but have denied any communal angle to it. Dumka Superintendent of Police, Rajesh Kumar, said, “Preliminary investigations suggest that this was a case of mistaken identity related to a theft in the area. There is no evidence to suggest that the attack was motivated by religious animosity.”
However, the police have detained several individuals for investigation and reviewing CCTV footage.
Muslim Man’s Death in Shamli Erupts Controversy Over Alleged Lynching
The next incident occurred in Shamli, Uttar Pradesh. Firoz Qureshi, a Muslim man, died on July 5, 2024, following an altercation with a group of men. The circumstances surrounding his death sparked a controversy, with some claiming it was a case of mob lynching while the police denied these allegations.
According to the police, Qureshi, a scrap dealer, entered the house of a resident named Rajendra in an inebriated state, leading to a scuffle between the two parties. Qureshi was soon after taken to his home by his family, where he later died. The police maintain that there were no serious injury marks on Qureshi’s body, and the post-mortem report did not indicate that his death was caused by assault.
However, Qureshi’s family and some journalists have alleged that he was beaten by a mob, resulting in his death. Meanwhile, two journalists, Zakir Ali Tyagi and Wasim Akram Tyagi, were booked by the police for posting on social media about the alleged lynching, with the authorities claiming that their posts had the potential to provoke communal disharmony.
The police registered a separate FIR based on Qureshi’s family’s complaint, invoking charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against unknown persons. They also filed an FIR against the YouTube channel Hindustani Media for reporting on the alleged lynching.
The incident has sparked outrage on social media, with some claiming that it is part of a pattern of mob violence against Muslims in the state. The police, on the other hand, have denied these allegations and stated that Qureshi’s death was not related to lynching.
The conflicting narratives and the police action against journalists reporting on the incident have raised concerns about press freedom and the handling of communal tensions in the state.
A Muslim Man Shot in Waist For Allegedly Plucking Jamun
On July 6, a man named Talib was shot in the waist for allegedly plucking Jamun (black plum) from government-owned trees in Uttar Pradesh. The incident occurred in the village of Khera, where Talib was reportedly gathering fruit when he was confronted by a group of individuals who claimed ownership of the trees.
Witnesses stated that the confrontation escalated quickly, resulting in Talib being shot. He was immediately taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of his injuries, which were described as severe but not life-threatening.
Muslim Man Brutally Beaten to Death
On July 7, Azgar Molla, a Muslim man from Phulbari, was brutally beaten to death by a mob in the Bhangar area of Kolkata, West Bengal, on suspicion of theft.
According to reports, Azgar’s family discovered him severely injured about an hour after the attack, located just 500 meters from the Bhangar police station. Meanwhile, family members alleged that no one intervened to help him during the assault. However, the police sent his body for a postmortem examination and initiated an investigation into the incident.
Muslim Voters Attacked, Intimidated and Stopped from Reaching the Boots in Uttarakhand’s Manglaur
Many Muslim voters were reportedly injured and stopped from casting votes during an alleged clash that occurred between groups in Uttarakhand’s Manglaur during the by-election voting on July 10.
In a 17-second video that made the rounds on social media, many Muslims, including the elderly man, were seen being attacked with blood stains on their shirts. Meanwhile, many alleged that they were stopped from voting.
Manglaur Congress candidate Qazi Nizamuddin claimed that miscreants were openly firing; however, police have stated that there is currently no confirmation of gunfire.
“Bullets Were Fired, It is a Murder of Democracy”
Commenting on the incident, former Uttarakhand CM and Congress leader Harish Rawat has described the scene of fire and injury and how “weak people, voters of Congress,” were stopped from voting.
“Bullets were fired to stop weak people, voters in Congress. People have been injured. Our candidate, Qazi Nizamuddin, staked his life to send them to the hospital. Such kinds of incidents are also being reported from other places. Congress voters are being intimidated and stopped from reaching the booths. It is the murder of democracy and worrying. I urge people to support us in saving democracy. People want to vote but are intimidated. It is a very serious situation,” said former Uttarakhand CM and Congress leader Harish Rawat.
Muslim Shops Attacked in Hajipur
Another tragic event unfolded in Hajipur, Bihar, which lies under the jurisdiction of Garaul thana on July 17th, when a Muslim procession took to the street to peacefully conduct the Muharram rituals. Reportedly, a Hindutva mob attacked the procession with batons and abused them.
The event took place a day after a controversial talk over raising a “Muharam flag” at a pole near Kabristan (Graveyard) happened. The pole next to the graveyard had the flag of the 12th Rabi al awwal until the hindutva group requested to raise the flag of Ram Navami. Reportedly, the Muslim community unanimously agreed to it. On July 16, the Muslim community “requested” the Hindu community to remove the flag so that they could raise theirs on account of Muharram.
In response to which the Hindu community revoked the request. The next day (17th July) when the Muharram procession took to the streets of Hajipur, the Hindu mob chanted “Jai Shri Ram” and abused them. There were attempts to provoke the ones taking part in Muharram Akhada which led to a clash between two groups.
On 18th of July, the hindutva mob reportedly attacked the Muslims of Hajipur and vandalised their shops. Videos where the mob could be seen attacking the shops of Muslims and abusing their community are making the rounds all over social media. The scene of terror can be seen in the visuals. “We never had a problem with them, but they abused us and our Mohramm,” said Pervez, a resident of Hajipur, over a phone conversation with FoEJ Media.
“They destroyed our Shops, Buried Livelihood.”
On talking to FoEJ Media over the phone, the locals said the mob specifically targeted them and destroyed their shops and livelihood.
A chicken shop owner who wishes to maintain anonymity said that his shop has been vandalised, and his hens were killed by the mob. After killing all the hens, they buried them in the soil.
“They destroyed our shops and buried our livelihood,” he said.
He told FoEJ Media how the scene of terror is spreading across Hajipur and the Muslim community is being “targeted” for their identity. He further revealed that the mob is beating people, destroying shops, and the police are watching the scene of violence.
“They Didn’t Even Leave innocent Animals”
On talking to Foej Media over phone, Parvez said that the mob destroyed everything. They did not even care about the innocent animals and innocent people. They killed the animals of a chicken shop owner, “they didn’t even leave innocent animals,” Parvez said.
Reaction of Police
The locals and the eyewitnesses revealed to the FoEJ media that the police did not take any action initially. The police watched the scene of terror and chose to act like a silent audience. A purported video shows that three cars of Police officials were present at the scene of violence but they did not try to stop the violence. After that, when the incident was out of control, the DM imposed Section 114.
On being asked about the number of vandalized shops and injuries, the locals told FoEJ Media that the data has not been revealed till now and the investigation is underway.
Rajasthan BJP MLA Targets Muslim, Says Having ‘4 begums, 36 children’ Wrong, Congress Hits Out at the Statement
Rajasthan Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Balmukundacharya has erupted a controversy after he said “a particular community” has “four begums”, apparently targeting the Muslim community. According to the BJP leader, a population control law is a “necessity.”
“There is a huge problem with the increasing population. There is a particular community which has ‘char begum aur chhatis bacche’. There are countless such cases. This is wrong. There should be equal laws for everyone; otherwise, how will the country move forward?” the BJP MLA said in a video that is making rounds on social media.
Talking about the country’s increasing population, Balmukundacharya said, “There is nothing wrong with the population law. The way the population is increasing, there is a need for more food and housing. This (population) is a hurdle in growth. If we want to become a prosperous and developed country, there should be a collective agreement on this, and a population control law should be made. It will be beneficial for all.”
“A sister came to my office and said she was the third wife of her husband, and now he was going to bring a fourth. I told her that now there is a law against it and she should go to the police. It is not a matter of government or non-government benefits. The point is that in the country, some families say ‘hum do hamare do’, while others say whatever (birth) is happening, let it happen as it is God’s will. There is a need to look into this,” he added, and news agency PTI quoted.
This is the second remark about population control made by a BJP leader in the last week. In another incident, urban development and housing minister Jhabar Singh Kharra said efforts were being made by the central government to ensure that those households that have more than two or three children do not get any benefits from government facilities.
In Haridwar, Mosques and Mazar along the Kanwar Yatra Route Briefly Covered
Two mosques and a mazar in Haridwar, located on the route of the Kanwar Yatra, were concealed from view using large white sheets on Friday morning. The district administration reportedly removed the sheets by evening, with the police saying what happened was a mistake.
Administration claimed that they did not issue any order to put up the sheets; meanwhile, the Haridwar district in charge minister Satpal Maharaj said the measures were taken to prevent the unrest during the yatra.
This is the first time such a thing has happened. The yatra route in Haridwar passes through the Jwalapur area of the city, where the mosques and the mazar are located.
When asked about the move, Satpal Maharaj said, “If this is done, it is so that there is no agitation and no flare-up. It was kept in mind that our Kanwar Yatra should go smoothly. When there is any construction, that structure is also covered. We have done the same here and will see what feedback we get. We will study that.”
However, Haridwar Superintendent of Police (City) Swatantra Kumar, however, told The Indian Express that there was no order to do so—either from the district administration or the police.
“We have also talked to the party concerned and removed the covers. We have talked to the locals, too. Barricades were being installed on the Yatra route, and there must have been some mistake in that, leading to the covers. It was not intentional,” said Kumar.
The Kanwar Yatra started on July 22 and will conclude on August 2. The tradition of the Kanwar Yatra involves Kanwariyas travelling to sites like Haridwar to collect water from the Ganga River, then carrying it back to their local Shiva temples for ritual purposes.
However, during this Yatra many tragic incidents have happened this year. On July 24, a man identified as Aaqib alleged that a group of Kanwariyas physically assaulted him and vandalised his car. The incident occurred during the ongoing Kanwar Yatra.
According to Aaqib, the altercation began when the Kanwariyas confronted him over an unspecified issue. Eyewitnesses reported that the situation escalated quickly, leading to a physical confrontation. Aaqib claims that the Kanwariyas not only beat him but also vandalised his vehicle, causing significant damage.
Following the incident, Aaqib approached local authorities to file a complaint against the Kanwariyas involved. The police have reportedly initiated a probe into the matter, and efforts are being made to identify those responsible for the attack.
In another incident, A purported video made the rounds over the internet. It captures Kanwadis attacking a car with four Muslim men inside. They can be seen vandalising the vehicle with sticks and rods and brutally assaulting the elderly Muslim man while chanting “Jai Shree Ram.”
