A group of Muslim students at Ideal College of Pharmacy in Kalyan East faced harassment last month after offering Friday prayers on campus, prompting citizen delegations to demand police action and strengthened security measures.
The incident occurred on November 21, when the students received permission from their head of department to pray in an empty classroom. Another student recorded a video of the prayers and shared it online, leading to a confrontation by a group described as right-wing activists. The activists entered the campus and compelled the students to publicly apologise, according to witnesses and members of the delegation.
In a disturbing clip, the students who prayed were made to do sit-ups while holding their ears and repeatedly apologising. There were also forced to touch the feet of a Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj portrait as the Hindutva group raised “Jai Shri Ram” slogans.
No classes were disrupted during the prayers, but the episode has raised concerns about rising communal tensions in educational institutions.
“This is not just about one video,” said Durgesh Gaikwad, a social activist and member of the citizen delegation. “It’s a symptom of the hatred being peddled daily, where a minority’s right to worship becomes a target. These students did nothing wrong; they followed protocol. Forcing them to beg forgiveness has shattered their dignity.”
Delegation meets college administration
On November 27, a multi-faith delegation of social activists, educationists and lawyers met college administrators and management representatives. The group, including Gaikwad, Sameer Qureshi, Moin Don, Saalim Shaikh, Anand Kumar, Ashfaq Shaikh, Zameer Khan, Altamash Karte and Shehzad Sagar, submitted a memorandum calling for filing a first information report (FIR) against those who intimidated the students.
The demands also include identifying and disciplining the student who recorded and shared the video, providing psychological counselling to the affected students and creating a designated space for religious practices by students of all faiths.
The delegation said it had attempted to contact the affected students, but they were reluctant to engage. “We tried to reach out to the students, but they refused to talk to us,” a member said. “They are mentally disturbed, don’t want to discuss any of this, and remain afraid of the mob.”
Saalim Shaikh, state secretary of the Student Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) Maharashtra South Zone and a member of the delegation, described the confrontation as “a targeted attack on the religious and democratic rights of citizens, which also reveals discriminatory behaviour toward Muslim students.”
He added, “We demand from the Maharashtra government and police that strict action be taken immediately against the culprits, that the college administration ensures security, and that concrete steps are taken to prevent such incidents from recurring.”
College officials acknowledged security shortcomings and committed to improvements, including increased patrols, CCTV analysis and harmony-building programs. They also pledged counselling for the students and said they are consulting lawyers on filing a police complaint. As of the meeting, no individuals had been identified as responsible for the video or the confrontation.
An expanded delegation, including advocates Faisal Qazi, Ammar Nizami, Sagar Kirte, Ashok Mohite and Ravi Bhagat, met Additional Commissioner of Police (East Region) Sanjay Jadhav at Thane Police headquarters. Members reiterated their demand for an FIR and cited Supreme Court rulings in the Tehseen Poonawalla and Shaheen Abdullah cases, which call for prompt action against mob violence and hate incidents.
Zameer Khan, a delegate, questioned the lack of an FIR more than a week after the confrontation. “This isn’t isolated; it’s part of a pattern where Muslim students are vilified for existing. We demand a suo motu case — justice can’t wait for permissions,” he said.
Shehzad Sagar, another activist in the multi-faith group, urged students to “maintain religious harmony and unite against such communalism.”
Jadhav assured the delegation that police were investigating, including reviewing CCTV footage and interviewing students. He said student safety, particularly of minorities, was a priority and noted that officers had already visited the campus.
Yet no FIR has been registered, and the college has not publicly identified those involved in the video leak. The incident has underscored challenges in maintaining inclusive environments in Maharashtra’s educational institutions amid reports of rising communal incidents.
Maktoob attempted to reach the students, but they declined to speak to the media.
The post Maharashtra: Multi-faith delegation seeks action after Muslim students harassed for praying at Kalyan college appeared first on Maktoob media.
