On 15th February 2023, a Muslim mob indulged in violence over the installation of welcome gates by Hindus ahead of Mahashivaratri in Palamu of Jharkhand. It was opposed by Muslims who said the welcome gates could not be installed in front of the mosque. The Muslim mob not only pelted stones from the mosques but committed arson. The Hindus have now come up to reveal how the state administration and police are targetting and hounding them instead of taking action against the Muslims, who are the actual culprits in this case.
Hindus in Palamu are so afraid of the police administration’s unilateral action that they refuse to disclose their identity. On the condition of anonymity, a local Hindu told OpIndia that male officers are forcibly storming homes, manhandling, assaulting, and abusing Hindus. They are also unrelenting in their treatment towards Hindu women.
Some allege that the police are breaking into the homes of Hindus who are not opening their doors out of fear. In addition to that, police are severely beating up Hindus whom they are arbitrarily arresting. These people include those who have nothing to do with the violence and were not even present at the time of the incident.
Speaking to OpIndia, a local Hindu named Surendra Singh (note that we changed the Hindu man’s name to safeguard him) described what happened leading up to the February 13th violence in Palamu, Jharkhand, and how Hindus have been singled out and targeted following the incident.
He alleged that the Jharkhand police had been protecting members of the Muslim community who engaged in stone pelting and arson while pursuing Hindus, the victims in this case. He further stated that the majority of Hindu youths in the area have deserted their houses, fearful that the authorities may take unilateral action against them. While many Hindus have fled their houses, others have been forced to hide here and there by turning off their phones, among other things.
Surendra Singh first recalled how it all began before moving on to how the state administration pursued retaliatory measures against Hindus rather than the actual perpetrators, Muslims.
On the day of the violence, he alleged, Hindus were digging trenches to install the ‘toran dwar’ (welcome gates) when a shopkeeper called Karim opposed. Surendra Singh added that he and other organisers tried to explain to Karim that it was only a four-day festival and that he should not complain because Hindus had never opposed any Muslim-organized event. Karim, on the other hand, was adamant. He threatened that Hindus may attempt all they wanted, but he would not allow them to install the welcome gate.
This enraged the Hindu organisers, but they tried again to explain to Karim that the road where the gateway was being placed was not anyone’s personal property, but government land and no one could stop them from proceeding with the installation.
“As the altercation heated up, Karim proceeded to a neighbouring mosque with one Mehboob Alam. Within no time, a mob of Islamists congregated at the mosque. They urged us to relocate the toran dwar, but we were adamant about installing it in its original place. Meanwhile, I shared a post on social media soliciting assistance from the Hindu community to install the welcome gates. The Muslims in the area enquired about the post I had written. I stated to them that I was only seeking Hindu support to erect the gate. I informed them that I do not intend to fight and that I wish to carry out the event peacefully. But, furious Muslims hauled out sticks and batons from the mosque and attacked us. When I intervened, I was hit on the head. The scuffle progressed into a full-fledged clash and stone-pelting,” recalled Surendra Singh (name changed).
Police arbitrarily started hurling lathis at Hindus, a local Hindu accuses Jharkhand police of being biased towards Muslims
He continued to explain how the Jharkhand police, acting at the behest of the Hemant Soren government, handled the entire incident in a completely biased manner. After receiving information about the clash, police teams led by SP and DSP arrived on the scene. He claimed that the police, without even assessing the situation, began hurling lathis at Hindus.
We encouraged the cops to first put a halt to the stone pelting from the mosque. We tried to convey to them that it was not the Hindus’ fault. But, the cops ignored our request and continued to lathi-charge the Hindus.
“We begged the cops to first stop the Muslims from hurling stones from the mosque. We tried to convey to them that it was not the Hindus who were at fault. But, the cops ignored our request and continued to lathi-charge the Hindus,” Surendra Singh bemoaned, adding that the Muslim community’s arrogance is attributed to the blind support they are getting from the state administration.
The police had also beaten up a TV journalist. He is alleged to have been assaulted so badly that he is now having problems breathing. Meanwhile, the cops have been accused of breaking into a teacher’s home and abusing him.
Atrocities against Hindus being carried out with assistance from local Congress MLA
Surendra Singh (name changed) also informed OpIndia that the atrocities committed against Hindus, both by the state administration and members of the Muslim community, are being carried out with the assistance of a local Congress MLA. He claimed that the police detained 5 to 6 Muslims solely for the purpose of documenting, but their primary targets are only Hindus.
The local Hindu voiced surprise that, despite the fact that police personnel were also injured in the stone-pelting by Muslims, they are protecting them and instead pursuing action against Hindus.
He also remarked that, despite the fact that Hindus are being targeted, Muslims, who are the actual criminals in the case, are busy playing the victim.
Muslims play the victim
Notably, on February 15th, 2023, the Muslim mob not only pelted stones from the mosques but committed arson. After indulging in violence against Hindus, Muslims started playing the victim.
After the violence against Hindus, Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi proceeded to dog whistle and paint the perpetrators as the victims. “Stones were hurled at the mosque and two houses and some vehicles were burnt”, he said. However, in reality, it was a Hindu who was first hit in the head and then stone pelting took place from the mosque.
Asaduddin Owaisi didn’t stop here. He said that the welcome gate should not have been built in front of the mosque. He blamed the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for it, saying the rioters and the Sangh Parivar won. Interestingly, while the blamed the victims, the Hindus, he also justified the violence by the Muslim mob by saying that the Mahashivratri celebrations should not have taken place in front of the mosque.
Muslims dominate as people living here are Dalits
According to locals, the neighbourhood is only home to the backward and Dalit groups. That is why Muslims frequently harass them. The area of upper caste people is said to be 5-6 kilometres away. The Muslims would not have dominated them as much if the upper-caste people had lived here.
36 loudspeakers placed in mosques still Muslims object to bhajan and aartis in Mandir
Locals say a loudspeaker was placed at the temple around a month ago to play bhajans. People associated with the mosque were outraged at this. The mosque committee began protesting and complaining to the local police about it. The temple’s loudspeaker was eventually removed, but Azaan continued to blare from loudspeakers that are installed in the mosque.
According to locals, 36 loudspeakers have been installed at the mosque, and Azaan is offered five times at full volume. Under the condition of anonymity, a person stated that the noise of the loudspeakers during namaz makes it difficult to even talk to customers in the shop, but no one has the audacity to raise any objections.
Muslims arbitrarily renamed Bhagat Singh Chowk as Masjid Chowk
Bhagat Singh Chowk is the name given to the site where the violence over the archway occurred. There is also a statue of Bhagat Singh installed there. However, Muslims arbitrarily began to refer to it as Masjid Chowk, said local Hindus.
Violence was pre-planned, two tractors full of bricks and stones were brought and placed on the roof of the mosque
Under the condition of anonymity, a local stated that Nehal Ansari, the former head of Panki Paschim Panchayat, had ordered two tractors of bricks and stones a day before the rioting, which Aftab Miyan and Mehboob had stored on the roof of the mosque. The tractor used to bring the bricks and stone belonged to one Haroon Miyan, the local added.
Radical Islamist from Kerala apprehended from the mosque
According to reports, one Rajiullah, a native of Balrampur in Chhattisgarh, has also been arrested in connection with this violence. According to a local, a Muslim from Kerala visited the mosque’s madarsa around a year ago. He was brainwashing people in the Madarsa. The authorities arrested him after receiving a complaint from the local Hindus.
