On 7th July, Siasat published a report claiming a Muslim man Arvaaz was beaten and stripped merely for talking to a Hindu girl in Aligarh. The video incident, which took place in the Quarsi area of Aligarh on 3rd June, went viral on social media. Siasat projected the matter as if members of the Hindu community deemed the matter as “love jihad” unnecessarily to target a Muslim man. The report from Siasat was copied word-to-word by Muslim Mirror.
The matter was picked by several Hinduphobic propaganda handles on social media platforms who attempted to set a narrative that Hindus assaulted Muslim youth under the wrong pretext.
X user Saba Khan said in a post, “A Muslim youth was stripped naked and beaten by members of Hindutva organisations in front of police for talking with a Hindu girl in the Quarsi area of Aligarh on 3 June. Hindutva organisations alleged love jihad. BJP Mayor Shakuntala Bharti issued a warning to the administration asking them to curb the love jihad cases else they’ll handle themselves.”
#Aligarh : A Muslim youth was stripped naked and beaten by members of hindutva organisations in front of police for talking with a Hindu girl in Quarsi area of Aligarh on 3 June.
— Saba Khan (@ItsKhan_Saba) July 6, 2024
Hindutva organisations alleged love jihad.
BJP Mayor Shakuntala Bharti issued warning to the… pic.twitter.com/fXkhlRCHC3
A video of the incident was shared by the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) on its social media handles. IAMC wrote, “In #Aligarh, a Muslim youth was stripped and beaten by #Hindutva groups, accusing him of “#LoveJihad” for talking to a Hindu girl. BJP Mayor Shakuntala Bharti warned officials to curb such cases or face direct action. Subsequently, the police arrested Nazim on charges of harassment.”
IAMC, whose X account is withheld in India, is linked with the banned Islamic terror outfit Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) through its founder Shaik Ubaid. The IAMC is a Jamat-e-Islami-backed lobbyist organisation, claiming to be a rights advocacy group. In the past, it had reportedly collaborated with and even paid money to various groups in the USA to get India blacklisted by the USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom). IAMC had been caught spreading fake news and misinformation to further the Islamist cause in India. It had also been slapped with the UAPA in 2021.
Meer Faisal wrote, “On June 3, in Aligarh’s Quarsi area, a Muslim youth was stripped naked and assaulted by members of Hindutva organizations in the presence of the police, due to his interaction with a Hindu girl. These organizations alleged that this was a case of “love jihad”. BJP Mayor Shakuntala Bharti issued a stern warning to the administration, demanding action to curb such incidents, or else the organizations would take matters into their own hands.” Meer Faisal’s original account was withheld in India after which he created a new account.
On June 3, in Aligarh's Quarsi area, a Muslim youth was stripped naked and assaulted by members of Hindutva organizations in the presence of the police, due to his interaction with a Hindu girl. These organizations alleged that this was a case of "love jihad."
— Meer Faisal (@meerfaisal001) July 6, 2024
BJP Mayor… pic.twitter.com/0F9y6yvHjW
X user Muslim Voice also claimed that the Muslim man was assaulted merely for talking to a Hindu girl.
#India: On June 3 in Aligarh's Quarsi area, a Muslim youth was stripped naked and assaulted by Hindutva extremists in the presence of the police due to his interaction with a Hindu girl.#IndianMuslims #Hindutvapic.twitter.com/3LsZMPHnpp
— Muslim Voice (@MuslimVoice_eng) July 6, 2024
Hate Detector, an X handle known for publishing fake reports and Hinduphobic content, wrote, “On June 3, in #Aligarh’s #Quarsi area, a #Muslim youth was stripped naked and assaulted by members of #Hindutva organizations in the presence of the police, due to his interaction with a #Hindu girl. These organizations alleged that this was a case of ‘love jihad’.”
On June 3, in #Aligarh's #Quarsi area, a #Muslim youth was stripped naked and assaulted by members of #Hindutva organizations in the presence of the police, due to his interaction with a #Hindu girl. These organizations alleged that this was a case of "love jihad."#BJP Mayor… pic.twitter.com/1ziq5kfh0M
— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) July 6, 2024
Muslim youth harassed Hindu girls
On 3rd June, Aligarh police arrested a Muslim man identified as Arvaaz for harassing a minor Hindu girl. As per reports, he was caught red-handed by the father of the girl at around 7 PM. Minor Hindu girls were returning home from tuition classes via the road behind the veterinary hospital on Khair Road. Some youths stopped them and began harassing them. When the girls resisted, the youth threatened them with country-made pistols and pressured them to convert to Islam. They threatened the girls saying they would kill them if they refused.
The girls started screaming for help. One of the girls’ fathers was passing by when heard the screams and rushed to the scene. He managed to capture one of the men with the help of people around. The man was beaten up by the public and handed over to the police. He has been identified as Arvaaz, son of Haji Munna from Sarai Mian.
Police have confirmed that they received a complaint from the father who stated that his daughter and other girls were being harassed by these men. One of the youths was arrested and the police are taking legal action. Police officer Abhay Pratab said, “A complaint was filed this evening at the Dehli Gate police station alleging harassment of a minor girl by some youths. One suspect has been arrested, and the investigation is ongoing.”
Police officials have confirmed receiving a complaint from the father, who stated that his daughter, along with her friends, was harassed by a group of youths. The complaint led to the arrest of one individual, and further legal action is being pursued.
BJP leader Shakuntala Bharti said, “This is a serious issue. Our daughters are being harassed, threatened with weapons, and pressured to change their religion. This happens in a busy market area, and the authorities must take stringent action against such miscreants.”
Aligarh Police also released a statement about the matter.
थाना क्वार्सी- प्रकरण दिनांक 03.07.24 का है, जिसमें तत्समय आवश्यक वैधानिक कार्यवाही की गई थी। उपरोक्त संबंध में सहायक पुलिस अधीक्षक/ क्षेत्राधिकारी नगर तृतीय @IPSAmrit_Jain द्वारा दी गई बाइट pic.twitter.com/NPreZ5NjDj
— ALIGARH POLICE (@aligarhpolice) July 6, 2024
ASP Amrit Jain said that the police have taken action in the matter. One of the accused has been arrested and sent to judicial custody. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
