A Muslim family of Uttarakhand’s Rudrapur was at the receiving end of their neighbours’ ire for having extended their support to the BJP in the assembly elections that were held earlier this year. According to a report published in News 18, a Muslim family, including children, were severely injured by locals, who accused the family of being “Kaafir” and “betraying Islam” for supporting the BJP in Uttarakhand assembly elections.
The deadly attack against the Muslim family left 4 injured, including a girl who was seriously wounded. 6 people have been booked in the case, five of whom have been already identified by the police. The police have launched an investigation to determine the sixth culprit responsible for attacking the family.
The matter pertains to Udham Singh Nagar of Rudrapur, where a Muslim family was attacked by locals for being associated with the BJP. The victim, Anees Mian Guddu, a resident of ward no.20 Bhoorbangla, is an office-bearer of the BJP. During the assembly elections, his family had strongly backed the BJP candidate, exhorting members of the Muslim community in their area to vote for the BJP. Since then, there is a simmering discontent among the Muslim community against Mian and his family.
This resentment manifested on the evening of April 5, when Mian was attacked by locals while he was in his shop. Parveen Jahan, Mian’s wife, in her statement to the police told that a bunch of fanatic locals accosted her and her husband on the evening of April 5 when the duo was in their shop.
According to Jahan, the mob included one Yunus, a resident of the same locality where the victims lived. His wife Reshma, Yunus’ brother Irfan, Shakeel and his wife Baby were among those who visited their shop and started abusing them. They were also carrying knives and sticks, Jahan told the police. They reportedly called Mian a “Kaafir” and accused him of betraying Islam by supporting the BJP. Jahan said Yunus attacked her with a knife while her husband was thrashed by others with sticks. The assailants also snatched her earrings and fled away, Jahan said as per a report published by News 18.
Following the attack, when Jahan had gone to a nearby hospital to tend to her injuries, her son and daughter were alone in their house. During this time, the attackers barged into their house and told the children that their “parents were taught a lesson” and now it was “their turn”.
Brimming with the rage to seek vengeance from a family that supported the BJP, the attackers did not spare innocent children from their fury. The assailants unleashed a relentless spate of violence against the siblings, leaving the girl child seriously injured. Parveen says after the attack when she had decided to file a police complaint against the accused, the locals in her neighbourhood tried stopping her from visiting the police station.
However, Parveen went to the police station and filed a complaint against her assailants. SSI Satish Kapri said that a case has been filed against Yunus, his wife Reshma, Irfan, Shakeel and his wife Baby along with an unknown person under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including rioting and assault. Legal action has been initiated against the accused, the police informed.
UP: Muslim woman was thrown out of her house for voting for the BJP
This is not the first time that a Muslim has been attacked for having sided with the BJP. In March 2022, a Muslim woman was thrown out of the house by her in-laws for allegedly voting in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. She had voted for BJP for the work it has done, including the law against Triple Talaq and free rations to the poor.
The victim, identified as Uzma, had gotten married to Taslim Ansari in January 2021. It was a love marriage. Uzma is the daughter of one Tahir Ansari, a resident of Ezaz Nagar Ghautia colony. In a statement, she said, “I voted for BJP that has irked my husband’s uncle Tayyab. I voted for BJP because they brought a law against Triple Talaq. My family is very poor. My father is a labourer. We are five sisters. The government also provided us ration.”
She said he got irked by her statement and told her to save herself from Triple Talaq. She claimed they were living happily separated from her father-in-law and mother-in-law. “My husband is with his uncle on the matter. He is not supporting me. But I do not have any issues with my husband,” she added. When asked if her husband threw her out, she said, “Yes, he threw me out and threatened to divorce me. He has not given me a divorce but threatened and challenged me to do whatever I can to save myself from Triple Talaq.”
