VHP, Bajrang Dal men attack Muslim vendor in Himachal; police fail to file FIR

In yet another disturbing incident that highlights growing intolerance against Muslims in the country, a Muslim street vendor, Umar Qureshi, was allegedly assaulted by a group of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal members in Himachal Pradesh’s Banganga recently.

In a video statement posted by Qureshi, a resident of Meerut, on social media, he accused the Bharatiya Janta Party, VHP and Bajrang Dal members of attacking him for his Muslim identity.

Qureshi stated that the attackers interrupted him and asked his name. Upon discovering he was Muslim, they started humiliating him, forcing him to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram‘. When Qureshi refused to do so, the attackers mercilessly beat him up, fracturing his hand.

Qureshi further stated that the attackers, while beating him, said: “Now our government (Bharatiya Janata Party) has come to power. Muslims would no longer be allowed to exist.”

In the video, Qureshi also alleged that the police did not help him despite explaining the entire incident to them. “Even though the incident was serious, when I went to the police station to register a complaint, the officers did not file a First Information Report (FIR),” he alleged.

However, this incident is not an isolated case. There have been several reports over the last few years of violence and discrimination against Muslim vendors especially in North India.