Muslim man lynched to death over suspicion of goat theft in Jharkhand
A Muslim man, Akhtar Ansari, was beaten to death by a mob over suspicion of goat theft in Jharkhand’s Ranchi. According to local residents, the incident unfolded late at night when a mob confronted Ansari, demanding to know his identity before launching a brutal assault on him.
Akhtar’s body was found the next day, prompting shock and outrage throughout the community. Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi won a third term after India’s general elections, there has been a surge in anti-Muslim lynchings in north and eastern India.
Muslim man stripped, beaten by Hindu mob for talking to Hindu woman
In Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim man was stripped naked and beaten by a violent mob of Hindu extremists for allegedly talking to a Hindu girl. The mob accused the man of “love jihad”, a baseless Hindu supremacist conspiracy that claims Muslim men have an agenda to seduce and convert Hindu women.
Hindu militants are known for violently policing interfaith relationships and interactions between Muslim men and Hindu women, resulting in Muslim men being publicly attacked, arbitrarily arrested, and sometimes lynched.
Cow vigilantes assault truck driver over alleged beef transport
In Berhampur, Odisha, Hindu extremist cow vigilantes assaulted a truck driver for allegedly transporting beef.
Hindu militant mobs regularly attack Muslims over baseless accusations of committing crimes. These mobs, also known as cow vigilantes, assault and often lynch Muslims accused of transporting cattle or consuming beef.
Police book YouTube channel run by Muslim journalist for reporting lynching
Police in Uttar Pradesh filed a police report against YouTube channel Hindustani Media for reporting that a Muslim man had been lynched by a mob in the state’s Shamli district. The channel, which has more than 300,000 subscribers, is run by Muslim journalist Sadaf Kamran.
Police have also booked two Muslim journalists, Zakir Ali Tyagi and Wasim Akram Tyagi, and three others for sharing information about the same incident on social media. The police action comes as the killing of a Muslim man, Firoz, triggered outrage on social media. The police have denied allegations of lynching and claimed that Firoz did not die due to assault.
BJP lawmaker delivers anti-Muslim, anti-Christian hate speech in Bihar
In Patna, Bihar, far-right Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Giriraj Singh gave a speech in which he used anti-Muslim and anti-Christian dog whistles at an event. In Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, a leader from the Hindu militant groups Vishwa Hindu Parisha and Bajrang Dal leader promoted fear and hatred towards Christians. In Seoni, Madhya Pradesh, another Hindu militant leader delivered a speech with threats of violence against minorities.
