An elderly Muslim man was allegedly beaten up by some individuals and forced to chant religious slogans after he offered namaz on a vacant plot in front of a temple here, police said.
A video of the incident has been widely shared on social media. In the footage, some men can be seen hitting the elderly man with sticks and abusing him.
The man, identified as Shahid from the Resham Bari area, had offered namaz during the ongoing month of Ramzan. Police said the incident took place in front of the Atriya Temple in Jagatpura on Tuesday.
Shahid said he had been working near the temple for the past few days. He claimed that the land where he offered namaz is at some distance from the temple premises. After the incident came to light, members of the Muslim community accompanied Shahid to the local police station and lodged a complaint. They alleged that one of the accused is a murder convict who is currently out on parole.
Temple manager Arvind Sharma said that activities related to any other religion would not be allowed on temple land, even if a case is filed against him. Police officials reached the spot soon after the incident and appealed to both communities to maintain peace. Shahid was sent for a medical examination. Police said legal action will be taken based on the complaint filed.
Municipal Councillor Parvez Qureshi described the incident as unacceptable. “This is a very serious matter. Assaulting someone is wrong. If anyone had objections, they should have informed the administration. We demand a fair investigation and strict action against those responsible so that such incidents do not happen again,” he said.
Congress leader Sofia Naz said the incident harms social harmony. "Maintaining law and order in the state is the responsibility of the state government. Violence and forced chanting of slogans in the name of religion are against the spirit of the Constitution. The administration should take immediate action and provide justice to the victim," Naz said.
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