On 13th October, a radicalised mob of Islamists killed Hindu devotee Ram Gopal Mishra during the Durga Visarjan procession in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh. It has been nearly a week since the brutal murder. Now, it has come to light that members of the Muslim community were celebrating his death, both on the ground and on social media. Meanwhile, Bahraich police has approached Jamiat Ulema, known for providing legal aid to terrorists, to issue appeals for peace in the region.
Celebrations over Ram Gopal’s murder
Speaking to OpIndia, Chandrapal Kumar Mishra from the Hardi area, an eyewitness to the incident in which Ram Gopal was killed, stated that several Muslims in the community are celebrating his murder. Chandrapal shared that he overheard some Muslims saying that whatever happened to Ram Gopal was “very good.” When he confronted them with, “What if this had happened in your home?”, they got offended.
Another local from the region, Aditya Mishra, who considers Bhajirao Peshwa as his idol, spoke to OpIndia and said that local Muslims have been celebrating Ram Gopal’s murder. He pointed out that not a single Muslim leader in the region has expressed condolences over the murder. Instead, they are focused on portraying the victim as a rioter.
Aditya added that the same leaders who were silent when Muslims indulged in violence are now trying to justify the murder. He pointed out that celebrations over Ram Gopal’s murder are not limited to ground level but are also visible on social media platforms. He shared a link to the Instagram account “Bahraich Queen 786” with OpIndia where videos of Ram Gopal standing on Abdul Hamid’s rooftop were posted.
The video, which carries the caption “The day Waseem and I enter the field,” has over 125,000 views. The post has more than 800 comments, mostly from the Muslim community. Users like Taufiq Khan commented with a green heart emoji, saying, “Didn’t come out alive, Inshallah.” Another user, Zeeshan, posted two laughing emojis and remarked, “He was shot dead.” Kaniz Fatima quoted Salman Azahari, writing, “Today it’s the dogs’ turn; tomorrow, our time will come, Inshallah.”
Comments like “The rioter has been crushed” and “He died a dog’s death” flooded the post, with several handles, including those of Myra and others, cheering the murderers with slogans like “Islam Zindabad” and “Pathan Zindabad.”
Jamiat Ulema’s peace appeal with letters in Urdu
Amidst the tension, Bahraich police officially approached Jamiat Ulema to help restore peace in the region. The police circulated letters written in Urdu and Hindi by Jamiat Ulema on their official WhatsApp group, appealing for calm. In the letter dated Monday, 14th October 2024, Maulana Qari Zubair Ahmed urged people not to let divisive forces succeed. Notably, Jamiat Ulema has often been in the news for providing legal aid to terrorists.
This report was first published on OpIndia Hindi which can be checked here.
