The brutal mob lynching of Tabrez Ansari, a 24 year old Muslim youth, a welder by profession, in Jharkhand’s Saraikela-Kharaswan has evoked widespread outrage from across the country.
Image: Rupabehn Modi survivor of the Gulberg 2002 massacre
Citizens and civil rights activists from as many as 50 cities across the country stepped out protesting the incident.
Notably it has just been a month since the Bharatiya Janata Party was elected for its second term and there have already been 14 incidents of hate crimes reported across the country.
Tabrez, who had come to his home in Jharkhand to celebrate Eid, was killed merely five kilometres away from his residence by a group of men who tied him to an electric pole and forced him to chant “Jai Shri Ram”. He was brutally beaten. As per his family, he had died long before he was brought to the hospital.
Eleven people have been arrested so far and two police officers suspended. However, PM Modi gave a controversial statement today saying that though Tabrez’s death was indeed a sad matter, but it was unfair to paint the image of the state of Jharkhand as a hub of mob lynching. This evoked sharp criticism from MIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi.
Here is a glimpse of the protests that took place in various parts of the country:
Ranchi
Dharna took place in front of Raj Bhavan, Ranchi, Jharkhand. Ex Rajya Sabha MP Ali Anwar Ansari also sitting there with hundreds others. #IndiaAgainstLynchTerror @cjwerleman @vijaita @kawalpreetdu @imMAK02 @imMAK02 @nadeemkhanUAH
https://twitter.com/KSaifi/status/1143800157122658306
Gujarat
Ahmedabad anti lynching protests. Photos: Rupabehn Modi survivor of the Gulberg 2002 massacre
Delhi
The country stands United against hate and violence. #IndiaAgainstLynchTerror
Feminism in India Team posted about the protest from Jantar Mantar:
FII team is at Jantar Mantar today to demand #JusticeForTabrez. People across 50 cities in India are protesting against the mob lynchings of Dalit and Muslim people. Join the protest in your city. Raise your voice. Demand justice for victims of #MobLynching. : @meghna_prakash
Tabrez’s wife asks how will she live
Youth leader Umar Khalid highlighted the various incidents of mob lynching that have taken place in Jharkhand
Washington
Protest against Mob lynching by women of different nationalities happened today in Washington DC. Organised by @MariyaS87 Maria Salim. #IndiaAgainstLynchTerror #HumansAgainstMobLynching @imMAK02 @zainabsikander @nadeemkhanUAH
https://twitter.com/KSaifi/status/1143797641718841344
Protests across India by Muslim organisations
Bhopal