An uneasy calm prevails in Bahiyal, Gujarat, following the online “I Love Muhammad” campaign initiated by Muslims, which subsequently sparked a hate campaign from Hindu right-wing groups. Tensions escalated when a local resident, Hitesh Bhai Patel Banker, made derogatory remarks about the campaign on social media.
Residents reported that members of Hindu organizations, some arriving from surrounding villages, forcibly entered Muslim homes, allegedly in the presence of police, vandalizing property and assaulting women and children.
The unrest reportedly began after Banker termed participants in the online campaign as “ignorant” and called for Hindus to initiate an “I Love Mahadev” counter-campaign. Muslim residents, believing his comments were disrespectful towards the Prophet Muhammad, sought to file a First Information Report (FIR) against him.
Violence further escalated when a group of Muslims unintentionally traversed a Hindu-dominated area during Garba celebrations and were reportedly attacked by local residents. Witnesses indicated that police were present but acted selectively by targeting Muslim homes and arresting individuals from the Muslim community, while those responsible for instigating violence faced no immediate consequences.
Residents claim that Banker has a history of making anti-Muslim statements. Shahrukh, a local resident, stated: “The post by Hitesh was provocative and targeted towards Muslims; we only went to file the complaint, but the police instead booked Muslims.”
The clashes in Bahiyal occur against a backdrop of nationwide actions against Muslims connected to the “I Love Muhammad” trend, with reports of FIRs and arrests in states including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. Civil rights organizations warn that expressions of religious sentiment are being disproportionately targeted, contributing to rising Islamophobia in India.
Local activists and rights groups condemned the violence in Bahiyal, demanding an impartial investigation and urging authorities to protect all residents irrespective of their religion to prevent further escalation.
Advocate Modish Qazi, based in Bahiyal, told Maktoob: “Unrest started when derogatory terms were used against Muslims in a social media post by a right-winger. The outraged community went to the police station to express their concerns; however, the police booked them instead.”
Muslim residents accused the police of nighttime intrusions into their homes, arbitrary detentions of young men, and misconduct towards women. “The police are also publicly displaying arrested Muslim youth in the town,” Qazi noted, with social media videos confirming such actions.
In response to queries regarding the unrest, Gandhinagar SP stated: “The turmoil arose from the ‘I Love Muhammad’ trend. A member of the Hindu community posted a response with an alleged derogatory term. The word used was ‘zaleel.’” He added that stone-pelting by Muslims at Garba participants contributed to the disturbances, and arrests had been made to manage the situation. However, he denied allegations of police forcibly entering Muslim homes at night.
Shahrukh contested this account: “No stones were thrown, and the police are conducting a biased investigation.” Advocate Qazi reiterated, “The police are publicly parading arrested Muslims as part of a shaming process.”
A separate video on social media shows Rathaore, a figure associated with a Hindu right-wing group, openly inciting retaliatory violence by encouraging Hindus to respond to acts of vandalism with greater force. He called for unity among Hindus in Bahiyal, concluding with the exhortation, “If you want to live among stones, learn to be like stones, and if you want to save your religion, become kattar.”
When asked about this inflammatory statement, the SP replied, “We are working to identify the individual and assess his video; if it is deemed to disrupt communal harmony, he will be arrested.”
Tags: Gujarat violence, Bahiyal clashes, derogatory post, police involvement, Muslim community unrest
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