On Tuesday, October 22, the Muzaffarnagar police arrested 19 people, including All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leaders, for their alleged involvement in stone-pelting and vandalism in Budhana. The arrest was made in connection with the incident that unfolded on Saturday, October 19 when a mob of Islamists took to the streets to indulge in stone pelting and violence and to raise slogans calling for beheading one Hindu youth named Akhil Tyagi for alleged ‘blasphemy’.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Muzaffarnagar, Abhishek Singh, stated that five key individuals responsible for planning and carrying out the vandalism and stone-pelting have been identified. The accused are named Hasnain, Rameez, Azam, Tariq, and Rahil. While Tariq and Rameez remain at large, the other three have been arrested as part of the 19 individuals taken into custody. Singh further noted that Rameez holds the position of Deputy District President of AIMIM, while Azam is the City President of the party.
Singh further revealed that the violence was orchestrated through various social media platforms, including WhatsApp. Provocative messages calling for violence against Akhil Tyagi were widely circulated within the WhatsApp group of AIMIM’s Vidhan Sabha unit.
Abhishek Singh added, “When the police calmed the mob and attempted to disperse them, Hasnain, along with his group members Kaif, Faiz, and Sameer, began throwing stones. Based on CCTV footage, we have arrested 19 individuals, and efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend the remaining suspects.”
Muslim mob chant ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ slogans in Muzaffarnagar, call for beheading of Hindu youth Akhil Tyagi over ‘blasphemy’
On the night of Saturday, October 19, thousands of Muslims gathered in Budhana town, Muzaffarnagar, following rumours about the release of a man accused of making a blasphemous social media post, escalating tensions in the area. The crowd raised slogans demanding the beheading of Akhil Tyagi, who was alleged to have made objectionable comments on social media.
The mob threw stones at Tyagi’s shop while chanting “Sar Tan Se Juda” (beheading slogans). Tyagi had been arrested earlier based on complaints about his post, but after rumours spread that he had been released, a large Muslim mob took to the streets.
They blocked the Kandhla road in Budhana, raised provocative slogans, spread false information, and hurled stones, including at Tyagi’s shop. A significant police force eventually arrived to disperse the crowd.
In videos of the protest, the mob can be heard chanting the violent Islamic slogan, “Gustakh-E-Nabi Ki Aik Saza, Sar Tan Se Juda, Sar Tan Se Juda” (There is only one punishment for insulting Prophet Mohammad, separation of head from torso).
