Mob of 500 Hindu extremists assault, strip, torture Muslim men
A mob of 500 Hindu extremists tortured and publicly humiliated two Muslim men in Orissa state, binding them with ropes, stripping them, parading them through piles of garbage, shaving their beards, and filming the torture over suspicions of them carrying cattle meat.
The victims, 24-year-old Irshad Ahmed and his uncle, 30-year-old Mohammad Abuzar, were transporting goat carcasses with a license when they were stopped and attacked by the mob.
“A massive crowd of approximately 500 people assembled, forcibly stripped us of our trousers, bound us with ropes, and subjected us to a degrading walk through piles of garbage,” 24-year-old Irshad Ahmed said.
Abuzar said their trousers were forcibly removed, chili powder was put into their underwear, and sandals were shoved into their mouths. Ahmed reported that he was also beaten with a metal rod.
“They brandished a razor and proceeded to trim our beards, starting from one side of our faces, while forcing us to chant [Hindu religious] slogans like ‘Jai Shri Ram,’” Ahmed added. “We resisted initially but when we were brutally beaten, we gave in.”
Police have registered a case against two identified individuals, namely Jitua and Rasan Jena, along with 20 unknown suspects.
40 Muslims booked for offering Eid prayers on roads in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh
Police reports have been filed against 40 Muslims for offering Eid prayers on roads in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Uttar Pradesh state’s Kanpur city.
The Hindu supremacist government of Uttar Pradesh had directed people not to pray on roads during Eid. However, the Muslims booked had arrived late to a local mosque for Eid prayer, and had prayed on the road outside the building.
Police are attempting to identify individuals who prayed on the road using photo and video evidence. However, no similar restrictions have been placed on Hindu militant mobs on the Hindu holiday Ram Navami, which has seen militant-led mob violence against Muslims for the past two years across India, including in Uttar Pradesh.
Gujarat school principal suspended after Eid play with students in skullcaps
The principal of a private school in BJP-ruled Gujarat state was suspended after a purported video of a student’s skit on Eid was widely shared on social media by Hindu supremacist groups. The video showed students wearing skullcaps and praying.
The principal, Priti Vaswani, was suspended by the school administration. Education Officer Sanjay Parmar said that it was a “lowly act” to “ask Hindu students to wear skullcaps worn by Muslims.”
The video showed them offering prayers, and exchanging greetings as one of them talked about the festival.
