A Muslim man identified as Sahil was beaten and paraded through the streets of Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh district by a right-wing mob who accused him of molesting and threatening a Hindu girl. The incident came to light on Sunday, November 9, when video of the incident surfaced on social media, sparking outrage.
The footage shows Sahil, who works at a local salon, being dragged through streets with his shirt torn, while the agitated mob shouts religious slogans “Jai Shri Ram”. Reports indicate that the mob’s actions were fueled more by communal prejudice than by any substantiated claims against Sahil.
In the state, there has been many incidents where Muslim community members have been violently targeted based on mere allegations, often leading to mob attack.
Recently, a Hindutva group in Uttrakhand’s Tehri attacked and vandalised stores owned by Muslims in response to the alleged elopement of a teenage girl from the Hindu community with a Muslim man.
According to the reports, the girl eloped with the man identified as Salman, triggering immediate outrage and unrest across the Kirtinagar area. Protests erupted early with demonstrators fueled by allegations of “love jihad,” expressing their anger through acts of vandalism of Muslim shops in the area. The agitated protesters also raised anti-Muslim slogans, escalating the already tense atmosphere in the city. (With Agencies Inputs)