BJP Workers Assault Youth, Force to Lick Spit, Chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in Jharkhand

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said on Twitter that action would be taken against the perpetrators.

The BJP workers attacked the man, who belongs to the Muslim community, in presence of the traffic cops.

(Illustration: Aroop Mishra/ The Quint)

A 32-year-old Muslim man was allegedly thrashed, forced to lick his spit and made to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ by BJP workers in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad on Friday, 7 January. The incident reportedly occurred in the presence of BJP MP PN Singh and MLA Raj Sinha.

BJP workers alleged that the youth, who was identified as Zeeshan Khan, used unparliamentary words directed BJP leaders who were protesting against the alleged 'security breach' in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security in Punjab.

A video of the incident that has gone viral shows a mob surrounding Khan and assaulting him. He was then made to spit on the road, lick it and chant Jai Shri Ram.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren took to Tiwtter and promised action against the perpetrators.

The CM said no one would be allowed to damage the social fabric of the state and those creating communal disharmony would not be spared.

Soon after the CM's remarks, the victim’s brother, Rehan Khan, lodged an FIR into the incident. Rehan told The Indian Express that Zeeshan had diagnosed with bipolar disorder 10 years ago and had earlier received treatment at Central Institute of Psychiatry in Ranchi.

The police raided residences of two BJP workers and arrested four on the basis of the video doing rounds on the internet. Assistant Superintendent of Police Manoj Swargiary assured stern action against those found guilty, according to The Indian Express.

Meanwhile, the Congress and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) condemned the incident and said that such cases were occurring even after the state has passed a bill to prevent incidents of mob lynching.