Dozens of Muslims booked over “power theft” allegations in Sambhal

Dozens of Muslims, including prominent Muslim lawmaker Zia-Ur-Rahman Barq, have been booked in flagrantly false cases of “power theft” in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal. Officials claim they discovered irregularities in electric meters, but residents have denounced the action as a “witch hunt.” One viral video surfacing from Sambhal shows troops of police officers marching through the area. 

“Earlier, they used to demolish houses of Muslims. Now they are accusing us of power theft. They don’t want us to live peacefully,” said one Muslim local.

This crackdown comes nearly a month after police violence during protests against the survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, leading to the murder of six Muslims.

Swords and weapons brandished at Hindu extremist rally 

In Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli, attendees at a weapons display ceremony brandished swords and other weapons. The rally was organized by extremists from the Hindu militant groups Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal.

In Madhya Pradesh Katni, several people in civilian clothes were seen openly carrying firearms at a Hindu religious event led by Hindu extremist leader Swami Prabodhanand Giri, despite the presence of police.

Hindu monk boasts shutting down churches, arresting Christians

In Rajasthan’s Banswara, at an event organized by Hindu militants from the VHP and Bajrang Dal, a Hindu monk boasted about targeting Christian places of worship, claiming to have shut down 10-15 churches, filed cases against priests, and jailed 80 of them during a six-phase campaign. The monk also claimed that Christians were orchestrating a religious conversion campaign targeting tribals communities, and urged followers not to allow Christians “to be buried in their villages.”