Muslim Vendor in Himachal accuses Bajrang Dal-VHP for assulting him

Shimla, June 11

In a distressing incident underscoring the rising intolerance against a community in India, Umar Qureshi, a Muslim street vendor, was allegedly assaulted by members of the BJP, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) & Bajrang Dal in Banganga, Himachal Pradesh.

Qureshi, a resident of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, recounted the attack in a video posted on social media, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), VHP, and Bajrang Dal members of targeting him for his Muslim identity.

According to Qureshi, the assailants approached him while he was selling clothes and asked for his name. Upon discovering that he was Muslim, they began to humiliate him and demanded that he chant “Jai Shri Ram.” When Qureshi refused, the attackers brutally beat him, resulting in a fractured hand. During the assault, the attackers reportedly proclaimed, “Now our government (Bharatiya Janata Party) has come to power. You will no longer be allowed to exist.”

Qureshi also alleged that the police failed to assist him despite his detailed account of the incident. He claimed that when he attempted to file a complaint at the police station, the officer on duty refused to register a First Information Report (FIR). This lack of police action has raised concerns about the protection and rights of minority communities in the region.

The incident occurred on June 9 in Bangana, Una district of Himachal Pradesh, where Qureshi, along with other Muslim youths from Meerut, had come to sell clothes. The situation has drawn significant attention to the climate of fear and hostility faced by Muslims in various parts of India.

This incident has occurred shortly after the Congress party won a bye-election from the Kutlehar constituency in Una on June 4, adding to the political tensions in the area.