A Muslim man, identified as Babur, was allegedly killed by his neighbours who were angry that he was a supporter of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The incident was reported from Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh, and the victim was a resident of Kathgarhi village under Ramkola Police Station. He was reportedly “distributing sweets” to celebrate BJP’s poll win when he was attacked on March 20.

According to a report in India Today, Babur was returning from his shop, and chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ which allegedly made his neighbours angry. They then allegedly thrashed Babur. According to the report, Babur’s wife Fatima told the police that her husband “ran to the roof of his house to save his life” but the accused people followed him and threw him off it. His mother, Zebunnisa, added the family took him to a local hospital, which referred him to the district hospital and then to Lucknow where he succumbed to his injuries. 

According to the news report Babur’s neighbours were allegedly angry that he was a BJP supporter, and on March 10 had distributed sweets in the locality, to celebrate the party’s victory. Babur family claimed that their neighbours had “repeatedly warned him about not supporting the BJP”, and that they [Babur’s family] had even approached the Ramkola Police Station to report that “Babur was threatened by their neighbours”.

The family told the media that claimed that the police did not take cognisance of their appeal, and the negligence led to Babur’s death. An FIR has been registered based on his wife Fatima’s complaint. Two persons have been arrested so far, they have been identified as Tahid and Arif.

#kushinagarpol थाना रामकोला ग्राम कठघरही में हुई घटना में संलिप्त अभियुक्तों में से 02 को किया गया गिरफ्तार। #uppolice pic.twitter.com/HFOoedXNMe

— Kushinagar Police (@kushinagarpol) March 28, 2022

Meanwhile the killing has been noted by the ruling BJP, and MLA PN Pathak met Babur’s family and assured them of justice, he also participated in his last rites. According to news reports  Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath has directed that the police “take strict action” against the accused, adding that the government stands by  the bereaved family.

#UPCM श्री @myogiadityanath जी ने कुशीनगर के कठघरही गांव के श्री बाबर जी की लोगों द्वारा पिटाई से हुई मौत पर गहरा शोक व्यक्त किया है।

मुख्यमंत्री जी ने शोक संतप्त परिजनों के प्रति संवेदना व्यक्त की है।

उन्होंने मामले की गहनता से निष्पक्ष जांच हेतु अधिकारियों को निर्देश दिए हैं।

— CM Office, GoUP (@CMOfficeUP) March 27, 2022

According to a report in India TV Danish Ansari, the sole Muslim Minister in Adityanath government, said the government will “soon announce a relief package for the family.” According to news reports, the negligence of the police as alleged by the family will also be investigated. Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Varun Kumar Pandey told the media that they were “informed that the victim had complained about death threats, but no action was taken then. An FIR has been registered. We are investigating the matter.”

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The post Damned if you do, damned if you don’t! Muslim man lynched for chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in UP? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Bahar released the song with Santosh Singh Yadav, the writer of the song and a co-curator of the YouTube channel called Janta Musical and Pictures, which produced and directed the video. Bahar’s three-minute-song that went viral on social media, drew the ire of thousands for inciting violence, encouraging mob lynching of minority communities and making exhortations through the lyrics.

Political activist Tehseen Poonawalla took to Twitter to express his anguish over this song and also urged the authorities to act against him. He himself lodged a police complaint with the Delhi Police. In a series of tweets, he wrote, “Dear @DelhiPolice, I am requesting you to file a complaint under IPC 153(a) & 295(a) against the makers of this video. This video incites Mob Violence against the citizens of India. Failure to do so will be contempt of SC (Tehseen Poonawalla vs UoI) @CPDelhi. If a FIR against this hate video makers is not registered by you, I, Tehseen Poonawalla will protest by playing this video outside the residence of hon @PMOIndia shree @narendramodi ji. Kindly take note. Dear @DelhiPolice as per law, I have filed a police complaint & received an acknowledgement from you regarding the above video. I urge you to file a FIR ASAP & take action against the maker of this video, that is misusing the pious slogan ” #JaiShreeRam ” to start #MobLynching.”

Bahar along with Yadav posted another video after the controversies erupted over their song. In the video, he urged right-wing groups like Bajrang Dal and Hindu Yuva Vahini along with political parties like Shiv Sena to help him in the face of the backlash his song had created. Featuring alongside Yadav, Bahar categorically denied that his lyrics were inflammatory and said that the singer did not take names of any religion. “I have not taken the names of any religion here. Media is after my life and is not concerned about content on social media that is much more provocative and vulgar in nature.”

Expressing regret, the singer added that the song was sung in ‘Josh’ and the matter should be put to rest. “I have been singing for last 12 years and have done course in professional singing from Bhatkhande Music University in Lucknow,” he said.

Speaking to media about the singer’s detention, SSP Lucknow Kalanidhi Naithani, said, “The cyber cell of Lucknow alerted us about the provocative video that was uploaded on the YouTube channel owned by Rajesh Verma. He, along with Yadav and a man by the name of Mukesh Pandey, were involved in composing the song with Bahar and have also been detained.”

Further investigations are underway and the police is trying to track down more hate speech content, he said, as he made an appeal to the people to intimate the police immediately if they come across any such inflammatory songs or videos on social media. “This is important as it can hamper the communal harmony of the society,” he added.

Related Articles:

1. Now ‘Jai Sri Ram’ Chant used to intimidate MLAs: Jharkand
2. ‘Temple of Democracy’ or Playground for Religious Slogan Shouting?
3. Those Not Chanting Vande Matram have no Right to Live in India’: BJP MLA Surendra Singh

The post Jo Na Bole Jai Shri Ram, Usko Bhejo Kabristan’ Bhojpuri singer Varun Bahar arrested appeared first on SabrangIndia.

As reported in The Pioneer, the house was adjourned twice in the ongoing monsoon session after BJP legislators from Bokaro, Viranchi Narayan raised the slogan of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, which soon was followed by other lawmakers, State Urban Development Minister CP Singh and Minister of Labour, Employment and Training Raj Paliwar. The lawmakers went on chanting the slogan as the JMM MLAs were demanding Government’s stand on proposed amendments to the IFA, 1927.

JMM MLA from Baharagora, Kunal Sarangi, demanded the government’s stand on the issue at hand at the start of the session. Leader of Opposition, Hemant Soren, also called for clarifications on the government’s stand in the house. Soren said, “The Union government was sharpening its axe with a new amendment to the Indian Forest Act (IFA) 1927. But, due to large scale protest from environmentalist, human and social right activists the Supreme Court has put stay on its earlier order. At the same time the SC had directed all States to submit an affidavit clearing their stand on the proposed amendment.”

Congress MLA from Lohardaga, Sukhdeo Bharat, also joined in this demand and said, “, “States such as Jharkhand having high forest cover will be badly affected with the proposed amendments as around 13 lakh Adivasi (tribal) will be displaced from their home (forest). We request the Government to disclose their stand on the proposed amendment.” However, the speaker refused to entertain these demands as the matter is sub-judice in the Supreme Court.

Outside the Assembly, the arguments continued between the ruling legislation and the opposition members. Minister of Revenue and Land Reforms Amar Kumar Bauri said, “It was not the ruling party legislators who first raised the slogan of ‘Jai Shri Ram’. The BJP members resorted to ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogan after JMM legislator from Torpa, Paulus Surin said that ‘Jai Shri Ram’ won’t work in the Assembly.” Urban Development Minister CP Singh said that ‘Jai Shri Ram’ is in their mind, heart and soul. He shockingly said, “If the house was adjourned due to sloganeering of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ then it is not a big issue.”

This video around the incident elaborates what actually transpired. In this video, it can clearly be seen how the Congress MLA Irfan Ansari is threatened by the BJP legislator CP Singh when the former demands for basic necessities like food, education, shelter, electricity, etc. Instead of giving concrete replies to these valid demands, CP Singh compels Ansari to say Jai Shri Ram. Not only that, he keeps on saying how ‘Jai Shri Ram’ (Hindus) were Ansari’s ancestors as well and not Babur, Taimur, etc., throughout the video.

Congress legislator from Jamtara, Irfan Ansari said, “Shri Ram is Maryada Purushottam whose life is ideal for all, but the BJP MLAs by restoring to ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogan inside the House are restoring to dirty politics. The Saffron party members go for such actions whenever an election approaches with an aim to disturb communal harmony in State.”

‘Jai Shri Ram’ is increasingly being used by the ruling party and the right-wing Hindutva fundamentalists alike. It has become a weapon to kill, to torture, to instigate and/or to silence the dissenters. Our previous study on mob lynching cases has shown how ‘Jai Shri Ram’ is a constant in lynching cases where the victim, usually a Muslim, is forced to chant the slogan which in a way also helps to silence the spectators. Killing in the name of God, particularly the Hindu God Ram, has unfortunately become the new normal. One cannot then but draw parallels between violence in the name of Ram and the Ayodhya – Ram Mandir issue, which has been a battleground for communal tensions. Notably, the ruling regime has promised to build a Ram temple at the disputed site of Ayodhya.

Just recently, 49 celebrities had written to the Prime Minister demanding immediate action against perpetrators of hate crimes and human rights violations. The letter also brought the attention of the PM to the use of Lord Ram in cases of violence. It stated, “Regrettably ‘Jai Shree Ram’ has become a provocative ‘war-cry’ today that leads to law and order problems, and many lynching take place in its name.” It goes on to state, “The name of Ram is sacred to many in the majority community of India. As the highest executive of this country, you must put a stop to the name of Ram being defiled in this manner.”

Use of the Hindu sermon now in Legislative assemblies follows what happened in the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) at the start of the current session. Neither the prime minister nor the Speaker of the House—ostensibly a non-partisan figure—did anything to restrain these developments.

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3. You must stop the name of Ram from being defiled: 49 celebs write to PM

The post Now ‘Jai Sri Ram’ Chant used to intimidate MLAs: Jharkand appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The injured boys (Image courtesy: newindianexpress)

The boys all minors ran in fear to the safety of the Madrasa but the perpetrators, identified as members of Hindutva group Bajrang dal threw stones at them. The accused have been identified through their Facebook accounts. They are Aditya Shukla, Kranti, Kamal while the fourth person is yet to be identified.

The boys who have been victimised are between 12 and 13 years of age. As a result of being beaten up with cricket bat and stumps, one boy’s hand has been fractured, while another boy’s has suffered an injury on his head, one boy has been injured on the foot while the other boys have suffered minor injuries.

The police of Unnao, UP have registered a FIR against the 4 miscreants charging them with assault, voluntarily causing hurt, intentional insult to provoke breach of peace and criminal intimidation. After they were detained a group of right winged members came to the PS demanding their release while chanting slogans of Jai shri ram.

Image courtesy: The quint

The Imam of the masjid at the madrasa has given his statement to the police and the victims have also narrated the details of the incident and their injuries are being treated. The police is going into the details investigating the matter.

Courtesy: Two Circles
 

The post Madrasa students in Unnao beaten up for refusing to say Jai Shri Ram appeared first on SabrangIndia.

As reported in the ANI, the victim named Mujiburrehman was travelling in a passenger train  from Bareilly and was harassed by a few miscreants near the Rajghat station. Reportedly, the perpetrators started harassing him, threw his skull cap and then made him smell something after which he lost consciousness. Later, he woke up at a different place and realized that his money and mobile phone were missing. 

Mujiburrehman said: “I was going to the madrassa on June 18. I purchased a train ticket for Bareilly. Some boys harassed me and threw my skull cap. They also beat me.”

A complaint has been registered against 8-10 boys and investigations are underway. “Mujiburrehman informed us that some youth harassed him near Rajghat station while he was travelling in a train on June 18. He gained his consciousness next day at some other place. We have registered a case based on the complaint,” Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek said. 

This comes days after the Aligarh case which shook the entire nation in which a 2-year old girl was kidnapped and brutally murdered due to some altercations between the accused and the victim’s family. The city witnessed a highly sensitive atmosphere and communal tension after the matter came to light as the victim was a Hindu and accused Muslims. There then might be a possibility of a connection between the existing communal tension and the recent attack on the Muslim boy. Further investigations will reveal the reason of the attack.

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2. ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and BJP connect, both a constant in mob lynching cases: Analysis
3. Dalit men beaten up for attending birthday party, Rajasthan

The post Muslim boy harassed on a train, case registered, Uttar Pradesh appeared first on SabrangIndia.

As reported in the Indian Express, Faisal Usman Khan, an Ola driver was on his way to Mumbai after he picked up his passengers from the Manav Kalyan hospital, Diva at around 03.00 AM on June 24. Midway, his car broke, so he took a halt on a bridge and switched on his parking lights. While he was trying to fix his car, three men on a bike came and started banging the windows. “I switched on the parking lights and was trying to restart the car when three men on a scooter came from behind and started banging the windows,” Indian Express quoted Khan as saying. “They were reeking of alcohol and wanted to know why I had stopped my vehicle in the middle of the road.” 

Khan alleged that the perpetrators took his keys, dragged him and one of the passengers out and started abusing both of them. “The accused started hitting me with wires and when I screamed out loud ‘Ya Allah’, I was told to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ if I wanted to be spared,” Khan told the police. Later, one of the passengers called the police and immediately the accused fled. However, Khan had lost consciousness and by the time he regained it, his mobile phone was missing. 

Khan had noted the bike number which helped the police recognize the accused. “The bike belonged to Jaideep Mundhe (26), who was riding it that day. We also arrested Mangesh Mundhe (30) and Anil Suryawanshi (22). All of them are residents of Agasan village. The accused do not have any previous cases against them,” a senior official told the Indian Express. 

Initially, Khan had complained only of physical violence and theft as he was in an extreme state of shock and was worried about the “repercussions on his family.”  “However, I later told senior officers at the police station the whole story. They assured me that I had nothing to fear,” he said.
The police arrested all the three accused on Tuesday. “We have booked them for deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs, robbery, voluntarily causing grievous hurt, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace, criminal intimidation, and common intention,” an unidentified police official said. All the three are in police custody. 

This incident comes a week after a 24-year old Muslim man, Tabrez Ansari, was brutally beaten and forced to channt ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Jai Hanuman’ under the suspicion of theft in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. Four days later, he lost his life. In West Bengal, three men were pushed off a moving train on refusing to chant “Jai Shri Ram.” 

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2. ‘Temple of Democracy’ or Playground for Religious Slogan Shouting?
3. Will Modi walk the talk?

The post Assault in the name of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ now enters Mumbai, Muslim taxi driver beaten and forced to chant the religious slogan appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Six of the men were travelling from Canning in South 24 Paraganas district in West Bengal to Hooghly. It was then that a group of men entered their compartment and began forcing them to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogan. On refusal, they started thrashing them up.

Mannah Mullah, one of the victims, while speaking to ANI said that he wanted to chant the slogan but couldn’t because of the constant thrashing. He said, “Seven of us were attacked by a group of people, although I tried to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ I could not because they kept beating me up. Then they pushed me off the train with two more people.

Last week, another Muslim man, Mohammad Momin was similarly pushed off a train, while another Muslim youth, Tabrez Ansari was killed as a mob attacked him and made him chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’.

The post Three men in West Bengal pushed off moving train on refusing to chant “Jai Shri Ram” appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Image: Inquilab Urdu

Maybe, maybe not. But Khurshid’s exuberance at the JD(U)-BJP reunion has proved to be short-lived. Faced with a strong backlash from the community he has had to make a quick U-turn, apologised to fellow Muslims and repented before maulanas in order to gain “re-entry” into Islam.

When criticised for his ‘Jai Shri Ram’ chant, Khurshid had earlier asserted: “If my ‘Jai Shri Ram’ can help some Muslims, I am willing to chant it morning, noon and night”. He added: “I worship Ram as I worship Rahim and I bow my head before all religious places in the country”.

The statement attracted a fatwa from Mufti Sohail Ahmed Qasmi of Bihar’s Imarat-e-Shariah, expelling Khurshid from Islam. The fatwa, among other things, meant that Khurshid’s wife was no longer “lawful” to him.

According to the Urdu daily Inquilab, Khurshid was slammed by infuriated fellow Muslims at a meeting of his own minorities affairs department convened by the chief minister on Sunday.

Khurshid initially protested saying he was not even given a chance to explain himself before the fatwa was issued against him. But this further inflamed sentiments. Nitish then reportedly advised Khurshid to apologise for causing hurt and seek the advice of the maulanas who were present at the meeting.

“The CM told me that if anyone felt hurt by my statement I should apologise. My intention was not to hurt anyone. I have come to serve the people,” said Khurshid.

As advised by some maulanas, the rattled minister presented himself before Mufti Qasmi and other ulema at Imarat-e-Shariah to apologise to them, repent, seek Allah’s forgiveness and recite the kalima afresh to gain reentry into Islam.

Following this, a statement issued by Mufti Qasmi stated that since Khurshid has repented, sought Allah’s forgiveness and has recited the kalima he should be treated as a Muslim by co-religionists. The statement also urged everyone to cooperate with Khurshid in the discharge of his duties as Minister for Minorities Affairs.
 
 

The post After fatwa for chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’, Muslim minister in Nitish cabinet repents, granted “re-entry” into Islam appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Kovind is the second Dalit in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.Kovind hails from the RSS.

Kovind was administered the oath of office to “preserve, protect and defend the constitution and law” by Chief Justice of India J S Kehar in an impressive ceremony in the Central Hall of Parliament.

The 71-year-old took oath in Hindi to thunderous applause and thumping of desks by the gathering, including Vice President Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee and former president Pratibha Patil.

A galaxy of leaders was present. Former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and H D Devegowda, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar, former deputy prime minister L K Advani as well as Union ministers and foreign dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

After he took oath, Kovind was given a 21-gun salute to mark the assumption of office of the highest constitutional post in the country.

Once the oath taking was over, Kovind and Mukherjee exchanged seats on the dais after which the new president delivered his maiden speech as president.

Kovind was elected with 65 per cent of votes defeating Meira Kumar to occupy the top post.

A commerce graduate, Kovind studied law at the Kanpur University, practised in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court. He was also the central government’s standing counsel in the apex court from 1980-93.

Kovind, who headed Dalit Morcha from 1998 to 2002, also led the All-India Koli Samaj.

Elected to the Rajya Sabha in April 1994 from Uttar Pradesh, he served two consecutive terms till March 2006. Outgoing Mukherjee bows out of public life after a five-decade political career.

The post It’s ‘Hindu Rashtra’ now? Parliament’s Central Hall echoes with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogan after President Kovind takes oath appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The thug Rathod is joined by his associates and all can be seen having a laugh at the cost of utterly helpless Muslim youth.

Their act of bravado has now caught the attention of social media users.

Eminent Supreme Court lawyer, Prashant Bhushan wrote, “This video makes your stomach churn. These are the criminal thugs that Sangh parivar has unleashed upon our people!.”

Congress worker Gaurav Pandhi, who posted the video on Twitter, asked Home Minister Rajnath Singh to act.

He wrote, “..@HMOIndia ACT & CATCH THESE MILITANTS. Blatantly persecuting Muslims for political aspirations. ABUSIVE CONTENT!”

On Facebook the video was uploaded by Pratik Sinha, who also runs a website, truthofgujarat.com.

Sinha wrote, “This is the face of Hindutva Terror. Extremely explicit language. Watch with care. (Anyone who abuses in the comments section will be banned).”

The video, extremely graphic in nature has elicited angry reactions from other social media users.

According to the Indian Express, tension gripped Limbayat area of Surat early on Monday, when a video showed a man abusing two young migrant workers from Bihar, reportedly of zardozi units.

The workers were seen being forced to vacate a rented quarter in Godadara area by a man who identified himself as Amit Singh Rathore. He abused them and forced them to strip. The youths were also being beaten up by other youths, alongwith Rathore. Rathore has been arrested.

jantakareporter.com received this video on Monday via WhatsApp, but didn’t carry it because of its graphic detail. We’ve now decided to carry it in public interest so that the guilty can be severely punished.

Courtesy: Janata ka reporter. We are publishing this shocking report for the same reason that Janata ka Reporter did.
 
 

The post Hindutva Thugs Force Muslims to Chant Jai Shri Ram, Video Will Make Your Stomach Churn appeared first on SabrangIndia.