An elderly Muslim man was assaulted by fellow passengers on the Gujarat Queen Express train over allegations after some individuals accused him of inappropriate conduct with a woman.
According to Maktoob Media, the man was a madrasa imam, a native of Rajasthan’s Gangapur City, who was travelling to Ahmedabad to collect donations for his institution. The incident unfolded when the imam was reciting the Quran while some individuals gathered in front of him, accusing him of inappropriate conduct.
The incident took place on February 28. However, the incident came to light on Thursday, March 6, after video of the assault was shared on the X platform by Jitendra Pratap Singh, a staunch supporter of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He posted the footage with inflammatory captions.
In the video, some men are seen slapping the elder man relentlessly. One lady standing there is heard accusing him of molestation. “He molested a girl at the station and touched her chest inappropriately”. The man is repeatedly heard saying, “Maaf kar do mai buzarug hon” (forgive me I am an old person), but the attackers continue to beat him, saying, “Buzarg hai toh kuch b kar de ga, police ko bulao” (you are old, does that mean you can do anything. Call the police).
The assault gained significant traction after Uttar Pradesh-based journalist Wasim Akram Tyagi shared the video on his X-account, amplifying concerns about rising “hatred-based” mob violence against the Muslim community members across India.
‘He was called Pakistani’
Meanwhile, his family said that the Imam was falsely framed, claiming that he was on his seat reciting the Quran verses. Upon noticing this, some men around him passed derogatory slurs loudly on Muslims, making sure that he heard the remarks.
“Then a woman pointed at him and called him a Pakistani. When the matter escalated, the TT asked him to come near the door when the two men and the woman started to beat him mercilessly,” Muslim Mirror quoted the family.
However, despite the serious nature of the assault and allegations, railway authorities are yet to issue any statement to address the authenticity of the incident.
Recent attacks on trains
In 2024, a series of similar hate-based attacks were reported against Muslim community members across India. The attacks originate from a hate campaign and speeches, often led by Hindutva members and BJP leaders, to create a polarised society for vote banks.
On February 7 2024, a 27-year-old Muslim student, Rezaul Islam Monda, was brutally assaulted and humiliated by a Hindutva extremist group on a Sealdah-bound train in West Bengal.
The incident unfolded near Payradanga station. The attackers thrashed the young Muslim man, pulled his beard, and threatened to throw him off the train, accusing him of being a “Bangladeshi.”
On February 13 2024, a Muslim family in Mumbai was assaulted and forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ by a Hindutva mob on a moving train en route Mumbai. A horrific 26-second video of the incident, reportedly filmed on January 24, shows the Hindutva goons beating up a Muslim man while his wife and minor daughter scream for help in front of the Panvel police station.
On September 29, 2024, a group of Madrasa minor students travelling in a general coach of a train heading to Mumbai were violently attacked by two unidentified assailants who were reportedly drunk.
