Surat: A disturbing case of an Islamist attack on Hindu youths carrying an idol of Lord Ganesh has emerged from the Mundra area in Gujarat’s Kutch district. Yuvraj Singh Jadeja, one of the injured Hindu youths, has filed a police complaint against Hamja, Farooq, and three unknown individuals for assaulting him and his two friends. So far, two accused have been arrested by the police.
According to the complaint, the three Hindu youths were returning home after purchasing a Ganesh idol to celebrate Ganesh Utsav. However, when they asked the accused to move their bike, which was blocking the road, the situation escalated, leading to a brutal attack on them. The incident occurred on the morning of 6th September, Friday. An FIR was lodged at the Mundra police station based on the complaint filed by Yuvraj Singh Jadeja, a resident of Samaghogha village in Mundra taluka.
गुजरात के #कच्छ ज़िले के #मुंद्रा शहर में गणेश जी की मूर्ति ले जाते तीन हिंदू युवकों पर 5 Gहादी मुस्लिम लड़कों ने हमला किया,
— Kajal HINDUsthani (@kajal_jaihind) September 7, 2024
तलवार और चाक़ू दिखाकर कहा कि आज तो तुम्हें ख़त्म कर देंगे यहाँ से ज़िंदा जाने नहीं देंगे,
साथ ही पत्थरबाज़ी भी की तथा श्री गणपति दादा की मूर्ति को खंडित… pic.twitter.com/VIXHyzPzNw
The complaint outlines how Yuvraj and his friends had gone to Mundra to buy a Ganesh idol. After placing the idol in a tempo, they were heading home from Mundra Umiyanagar College. As they approached a petrol pump near the Post office, their path was obstructed by a bike parked in the middle of the road, with two or three individuals chatting nearby.
Despite the tempo driver honking and asking them to move their bike, the accused ignored the request. Yuvraj Singh then stepped out of the vehicle and politely asked them to move the bike so they could pass. However, instead of complying, the accused became agitated and started a verbal altercation, refusing to park the bike on the side and challenging the youths, saying they could do whatever they wanted. Soon, a crowd began to gather.
The complaint states that Yuvraj and his friends repeatedly tried to avoid a confrontation, saying they only needed a small space to pass and did not want to cause trouble. Despite their efforts to de-escalate, one of the individuals from the crowd became enraged and started shouting. When Yuvraj asked him to calm down, the individual suddenly attacked him with an iron pipe, striking his right shoulder and causing him to fall to the ground.
At this point, the situation spiraled out of control. The accused began hurling stones, and one of them, later identified as Farooq, pulled out a sword and threatened to kill the Hindu youths. The mob, now armed with sharp weapons, threatened that they would not let the victims leave alive. However, when the crowd grew larger, the attackers hid their weapons.
Eventually, the injured Hindu youths called their friends from the village, who rushed them to the hospital for treatment. The man who wielded the sword was identified as Farooq, and another accused was identified as Hamja. The police have booked Hamja, Farooq, and three unknown individuals under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), and two of the accused have been arrested.
Yuvraj Singh, the Hindu victim, shared his harrowing experience with OpIndia. He revealed that the attack, which started as a minor argument over bike parking, took a dangerous turn when the mob noticed the idol of Lord Ganesh in their vehicle. Enraged, they began pelting stones, but the Hindu youths bravely protected the idol and eventually moved it to safety.
Yuvraj also pointed out that the incident took place in a Muslim-majority area. He is currently undergoing treatment in the hospital but praised the police for the swift action they have taken so far. This incident raises several critical questions: Why does such hostility exist towards a simple religious procession? Why is it that every time a Hindu festival or procession passes through a Muslim-majority area, it becomes a target for violence? This isn’t an isolated event—similar attacks have been reported during Hindu festivals like Ramnavami, Hanuman Janmotsav, and Ganesh Utsav across the country.
How is it that in a secular country like India, where religious freedom is a constitutional right, such incidents continue to happen? Why are Hindu festivals, which aim to bring joy and devotion, met with violence and hatred in certain areas? If a simple request to move a bike can lead to such brutal attacks, what does it say about the state of religious harmony?
Furthermore, while lakhs of Hindus visit Muslim religious sites like Haji Ali and Ajmer Sharif with reverence, why are Hindu processions and festivals met with hostility in Muslim-majority areas? Does this reflect a broader issue within the community about tolerance and coexistence? These questions beg deeper reflection and action from both society and authorities.
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