Court restrains release of Al Jazeera film on hate crimes against Muslims in India
In the latest move to suppress criticism of the Indian government, the High Court in Allahabad city restrained Qatar-based news channel Al Jazeera from broadcasting an investigative film on hate crimes against Muslims by Hindu supremacists in India.
The court directed to stop the telecast of the film “India… Who lit the Fuse?”, “considering the evil consequences that are likely to occur on the telecast/broadcast of film.”
The network claimed the film is part of Al Jazeera’s Point Blank investigation series in a report.
“Backed by testimony and documents, it uncovers the activities of Hindu supremacist outfits, such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the far-right ideological mentor of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),” it said.
The restriction follows a similar ban in January on the airing of a BBC documentary that questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership during the 2002 anti-Muslim Gujarat violence. The ban was followed by income tax raids on BBC’s New Delhi offices and an investigation into the broadcaster in April for alleged violations of foreign exchange rules.
Gujarat police publicly flog Muslims protesting mosque demolition order
In a clear case of police high-handedness in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)- ruled Gujarat state, police publicly flogged Muslims who were protesting against an eviction notice issued to a mosque in Junagadh city. About eight bulldozers were brought in to facilitate the demolition.
One elderly man was killed and 174 others were detained after the protests.
A video shows a group of Muslim men lined up and being beaten up outside the mosque. The video shows two men in civilian clothes with handkerchiefs tied around their faces thrashing the lined-up people.
This is the second time Gujarat police have publicly flogged Muslim men. In October 2022, a video clip went viral, showing a group of Muslim men being tied to a pole and flogged by Gujarat police for alleged stone pelting.
Hindu extremists beat Muslim man, tonsure his head, force him to chant “Jai Shree Ram”
A Muslim man was tied to a tree and brutally assaulted by three Hindu supremacists in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr city. The Muslim man’s head was tonsured, and the assailants forced him to chant “Jai Shree Ram,” a religious slogan that is used as a warcry by Hindu supremacists while attacking and lynching Muslims.
The video of the incident quickly went viral and led to the arrest of two of the attackers. However, the police also detained the victim, Sahil.
Hindu militant mobs have increasingly been targeting Muslims over baseless accusations of crime. The Hindu supremacist assaulters baselessly claimed that they beat up Sahil because he had stolen a mobile phone.
