Muslim man in India assaulted after refusing Hindu chant
Auto-rickshaw driver says attackers demanded ‘Jai Shri Ram’ chant before beating him; police file case without communal charges
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A Muslim auto-rickshaw driver in the southern city of Bengaluru was allegedly beaten by a group of eight men earlier this week after refusing to chant a Hindu religious slogan, in what rights advocates say is the latest case of targeted violence under the guise of casual provocation.
According to The Hindu, 35-year-old victim Waseem was attacked in the Hegde Nagar area after refusing to chant “Jai Shri Ram,” a slogan often used by Hindu nationalist groups. He said the assault took place shortly after a group of men, reportedly drinking nearby, confronted him and his friend when they stopped at a vacant lot.
“While I was trying to reason with them, they realized I was a Muslim and started attacking me,” Waseem said. “They asked me to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. When I refused, they got furious and began to beat me.”
According to Waseem, one of the men eventually helped him escape by starting his auto-rickshaw. He later reported the incident to his family and sought medical attention before filing a police complaint.
Police have registered a formal complaint under various sections of the Indian penal code, including assault, criminal intimidation, and wrongful restraint. However, the report makes no reference to the alleged religious provocation that preceded the attack — a point that has drawn criticism from activists.
Zia Nomani, a researcher with the Law and Policy Research Institute in Bengaluru who assisted Waseem in filing the complaint, said the authorities are minimizing the communal nature of the crime. “Despite the victim clearly stating that he was attacked for refusing to chant a religious slogan and was subjected to slurs, the police are attempting to dilute the case,” Nomani said.
The case adds to growing concerns about rising Islamophobic attacks in India, where Hindu supremacist rhetoric has increasingly made its way into public life, often with little accountability for perpetrators. Civil rights groups warn that failure to acknowledge the communal nature of such violence further emboldens vigilante groups and normalizes religious intimidation.
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