Muslims stopped from voting across Uttar Pradesh, women threatened at gunpoint
The recent elections in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Uttar Pradesh saw widespread allegations of voter suppression against Muslims across at least nine constituencies. Muslim voters reported being harassed by police, assaulted, and denied entry into polling booths despite valid identification.
In Meerapur, videos circulated showing police threatening Muslim women at gunpoint and using batons to prevent them from voting. Similar harassment was reported in Kanpur, where Muslim women faced abuse and were forced to remove their veils before voting. Polling authorities also questioned Muslims on their voting preferences, violating electoral conduct.
Police raid Muslim wedding celebration over allegations of beef served to guests
In BJP-rule Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur, police raided a Muslim family’s pre-wedding celebration, accusing them of serving beef to guests. The family claimed that the police assaulted women, vandalized their home, stole $3500, and threw out food prepared for the event.
Families often save money throughout their lifetimes to provide wedding celebrations for their children, compounding the gravity of this abuse.
BJP lawmaker leads mob with bulldozer to illegally demolish Muslim settlement
In Madhya Pradesh’s Mauganj, BJP lawmaker Pradeep Patel led a Hindu extremist mob with a bulldozer to demolish a Muslim settlement near a temple, declaring it was illegal. The settlement was under a court-issued stay order, prohibiting any action against it.
India’s Supreme Court recently banned the weaponization of demolitions as collective punishment against Muslims, declaring that any demolitions carried out without proper notice or legal permission amounts to contempt of court.
Muslim vendors evicted from fair in Madhya Pradesh
In Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh, Muslim shopkeepers, including Kashmiris, were evicted from a fair despite paying for their stalls. Around 20-25 vendors were forced to vacate under pressure from Hindu supremacist groups.
Similarly, in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag, a mob of Hindu extremists shut down halal meat shops and harassed Muslim butchers. The crackdown aligns with increasing calls for economic exclusion of Muslims by Hindu extremist groups.
