(Trigger Warning: The piece may contain details of graphic violence. Also, this is not an exhaustive list and pertains to the reported cases since 4 June).
It has been three weeks since the BJP-led NDA won a reduced, yet clear majority in the Lok Sabha elections. In this period there have been a number of communal incidents, lynchings and demolitions in different parts of the country.
Four people were lynched in two separate incidents in Chhattisgarh, one in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh and one in Gujarat. On the other hand, communal unrest and targeted harassment by right wing mobs around Eid-ul-Adha (Bakrid) were reported in different parts of the country.
The Quint has mapped most of these cases in the interactive map below.
Lynchings in Chhattisgarh, UP and Gujarat
1. Raipur, Chhattisgarh: Three Muslim men — Saddam Qureshi (23), his cousin Chand Miya Khan (23) and Guddu Khan (35), were allegedly killed by a mob while they were transporting cattle on 7 June.
While Qureshi and Chand hailed from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh and Guddu was from Shamli district. Both Chand and Guddu died on the day of the incident. Qureshi succumbed to his injuries almost a week later. According to doctors at Raipur’s Shri Balaji Super Specialty Hospital, Qureshi had been in a coma before he died.
According to reports, four persons including a BJP youth wing leader have been arrested in connection with the case.
Reportedly, several Muslims protested against the lynching of Qureshi, Chand and Guddu.
2. Aligarh: There were communal tensions in parts of Aligarh after 35-year-old Mohammad Fareed alias Aurangzeb was killed on suspicion of theft on 19 June.
Fareed was beaten with iron rods, dragged through the streets of Mamu Bhanja locality in Aligarh by a mob.
Aligarh's Superintendent of Police, Mrigank Shekhar Pathak had released a video about the case and stated that although Fareed was sent to the hospital, he died during treatment.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders like Mukta Raja and Shakuntala Bharti defended the accused. Fareed's mother, along with leaders of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party and Congress met the DM and demanded that National Security Act (NSA) be invoked against the culprits.
3. Chikhodra, Gujarat: 23-year-old Salman Vohra was brutally beaten by 4-5 men in Gujarat's Chikhodra while a mob of 30-40 others cheered the act. The incident took place late at night around 12:30 am on 23 June when people had gathered for a cricket tournament.
An FIR has been filed which includes IPC 302 section (punishment for murder). At the moment, seven people have been arrested and investigation is underway.
A local activist Aasim Khedawala told The Quint, "The Muslim boys had complained earlier that they were under threat. The crowd was cheering Jai Shri Ram when the Muslim boys were playing. Salman was beaten with cricket bats and knives, one ear was also almost cut by the boys who beat him."
4. Dantewada, Chhattisgarh: On 24 June, a Christian woman named Bindu Sodhi was murdered in Toylanka village in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada.
Some of her relatives had allegedly forbidden her from plowing the fields because she and some of her family members had converted to Christianity.
Later, they reportedly attacked her with bows, arrows, axes and knives and killed her. According to reports, they also prevented her from being buried on the land.
Mob Violence in Himachal Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha
1. Nahan, Himachal Pradesh: On 19 June, a mob looted and vandalised a textile shop belonging to Muslim man named Javed in Himachal Pradesh's Nahan. This was after he had reportedly shared a picture of animal sacrifice on his WhatsApp status.
Following this, there were reports that due to the tense atmosphere and pressure from Hindutva groups, around 16 Muslim shopkeepers also left the town.
A few days later, an investigation by Shamli police (UP), revealed that the photos of animal sacrifice in Javed's WhatsApp status were not of a cow but a legally permitted animal.
Moreover, the police arrested one accused who had made the photos viral on the day of Bakrid to spoil communal harmony.
2. Medak, Telangana: Communal tensions gripped Telangana's Medak district where a clash erupted between two communities on 15 June over transportation of cows.
The incident took place near Ramdas Chowrasta after Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leaders stopped the transportation of the cows and went on to stage a protest and file a complaint.
Following the scuffle, the mob also carried out an attack on Minhaj ul Uloom madrasa and a local hospital in the district. Several locals who were inside the madrasa were injured in the attack and had to be taken to hospital.
Shortly after, section 144 was imposed and the police arrested BJP district President Gaddam Srinivas, BJP town president M Nayam Prasad and seven others in connection with the communal violence.
3. Balasore & Khordha, Odisha
In Balasore, a curfew was imposed for over a week after a communal scuffle that broke out on 17 June. It was relaxed only earlier this week.
There was a confrontation between two groups over allegations of cow slaughter near a mausoleum near Patrapada area. After some locals noticed that water in the drain near the mausoleum turned red, they protested, claiming it was due to cow slaughter.
A group of people sat on dharna in the Bhujakhia Pir area of the town against the blood on the road. The other group allegedly hurled stones at them, following which the clash broke out, according to the police.
The administration then imposed Section 144 in the area.
Meanwhile, in Khordha, a Hindutva mob was seen entering Muslim houses, taking away freezers on suspicion of storing beef. They also allegedly vandalised the homes in the presence of the police.
Assembly elections were conducted along with the Lok Sabha elections in Odisha and the BJP came to power in the state, bringing an end to 24 years of rule by the Biju Janata Dal.
'Frustration With Election Mandate Being Taken Out on Muslims'
Academic and writer, Professor Apoorvanand believes that Bakrid was just another excuse for the Hindu right-wing mobs to harass Muslims.
"So since they can't see blood of animals, they shed blood of Muslims," he said.
What BJP has done is create mobs which act spontaneously. While there's also an economy of violence, there is also frustration and anger of Hindutva forces which were not given the kind of mandate they wanted. This (frustration) is being taken out on Muslims.Professor Apoorvanand to The Quint
From Demolition in MP to Hate Speeches by Hindutva Leaders
Several homes belonging to Muslims were demolished by authorities in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh allegedly on the pretext of possession of cow meat. However, the police claimed that the reason for the demolition was that the people's houses were built on government land.
Another large scale demolition was carried out in Akbarnagar in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow. However, the demolition has affected both Hindu and Muslim residents.
At least 1,320 permanent and temporary 'illegal encroachments' were demolished in the administrative action. This also includes four temples, three mosques and two madrassas. The Supreme Court in May this year had upheld the demolition drive.
Hate speeches continue: Since 4 June, leaders of Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad have delivered at least five hate speeches in parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
In one of the speeches they said, "koi kathmulla hamari betiyon ko bhaga kar le jayega kya? Kata hua to hai hi, lekin ham upar aur niche se kaat denge ( Would any Muslim dare to run away with our daughters? They are already circumcised, but we will cut them from top to bottom.”
In another case, a Sikh man in Kaithal, Haryana was allegedly thrashed and called a “Khalistani” by two motorcycle-borne youths when he was heading home on his scooter on 10 June. Two were later arrested in the case.
Prof Apoorvanand stated that these communal cases is the spilling over of the hate speeches made during the elections by various leaders.
Rashtriya Janata Dal's Manoj Kumar Jha was one of the few Opposition leaders to categorically speak about the hate crimes.
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