On September 20, an imam (Muslim priest) in Aligarh district of Uttar Pradesh was allegedly assaulted in Bulakghari village under Lodha police station limits. The imam, Mohammed Mustakeem, said he was attacked by a group of young men after he refused to chant “Jai Shri Ram.”
The victim serves as the imam of the village mosque and also teaches Urdu to local children. On the day of the incident, he was returning home on his bicycle after class when, he says, he was intercepted by a group of young men who had been harassing him over several days.
“Some boys had been bothering me for the past few days,” Mustakeem told
“They stopped me on Saturday when I was returning home on my bicycle and told me to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. When I refused, they took out sticks and beat me, and also asked me to go to Pakistan” as Times of India reported
The assault, which reportedly lasted nearly two hours, left him severely injured and hospitalised.
Imam beaten, told ‘bury him here’
The imam’s testimony reveals a grim picture of targeted violence. According to him, the group not only beat him but made chilling remarks during the attack.
“They wouldn’t let me get up and said, ‘Yahi dafnado’ (Bury him here),” he recalled.
Local bystanders eventually intervened and rushed the injured imam to a nearby hospital. Several others who came to his aid were also reportedly hurt in the fracas. Mustakeem stated that he had earlier refrained from reporting previous harassment in hopes that it would subside on its own. “I didn’t want to cause tension in the village,” he said
Sensitive Content
This media contains sensitive content which some people may find offensive or disturbing
Link: https://x.com/iamharunkhan/status/1969609117888098571
Police deny communal motive, call it a simple scuffle
Responding to the allegations circulating on social media, City Superintendent of Police (SP) Mrigank Shekhar Pathak stated that the incident appeared to be a case of minor conflict and not communal in nature.
He said that “A case has come to our notice through social media, in which person is stating that he was forced to chant some religious slogans and was beaten up. In this regard, it is informed that yesterday, dated 20.09.2025, at Lodha Police Station, under Gram Bulakgarhi, a person named Mustkeem was going on his bicycle when some children came in the way, and during the process of removing those children, he had an argument with a person named Jishan who was standing nearby. This led to a scuffle between the two individuals, resulting in injuries.”
Pathak added that both individuals were treated medically and were stable.
“The police attended the incident on the spot and also conducted a scene inspection. In this connection, it is also informed that both individuals have been sent for treatment; both are stable now, and their medical examinations have been conducted” he added
Dismissing the claims of religious coercion, he said:
“Upon investigation, the matter appears to be a case of simple assault; no element of any religious angle or forcing to chant religious slogans has emerged in this case. This claim is completely false, and the Aligarh Police refutes it. Legal proceedings are being followed in this matter, statements from both parties have been received, and there is peace at the scene.”
थाना लोधा- सोशल मीडिया के माध्यम से एक प्रकरण संज्ञान में आया है, जिसमें एक व्यक्ति द्वारा बताया जा रहा है कि उसे कुछ धार्मिक नारे लगाने को मजबूर किया गया था और उसके साथ मारपीट की गई थी, इस संबंध में अवगत कराना है कि कल दि0 20.09.2025 को थाना लोधा में ग्राम बुलाकगढ़ी अन्तर्गत… pic.twitter.com/w6C66VHg67
— ALIGARH POLICE (@aligarhpolice) September 21, 2025
Community leaders said UP Police trying to brush the incident under the carpet
Local Muslim leaders have decried what they perceive as a deliberate effort to downplay the incident’s communal overtones. Among the most vocal is Sayyed Abdullah, president of the Aligarh unit of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind.
“Imam Mustakeem suffered injuries and is in hospital. The police are trying to brush the incident under the carpet,” Abdullah told The Times of India. “We are planning to meet the SSP to ensure that an FIR is filed in connection with the case” as TOI reported
Abdullah said that the delay in legal action is a reflection of a growing trend where victims from minority communities face systemic indifference.
Patterns of intimidation
Notably, the imam’s ordeal is not an isolated incident but part of a wider pattern where religious minorities are coerced into displaying loyalty to the majority faith — or face brutal consequences. The chant “Jai Shri Ram”, while a common religious invocation for many Hindus, has increasingly been used by extremist elements as a litmus test for patriotism or allegiance to majority community ideals.
When refused, such slogans have, in many past instances, preceded mob assaults — particularly against Muslims and Dalits. Videos of these confrontations have frequently surfaced on social media, though legal consequences often remain elusive.
Related
Tilak, ID Checks & Religious Tests: what’s happening at Garba events?
Navratri: Communal demands mark pre-festival protest in Jabalpur
VHP leader assaults Muslim youth attempting to enter Navratri event in UP