Muslim youths beaten in India for refusing Hindu slogan

NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Two Muslim youths were assaulted by a Hindu right-wing mob in northern India after they refused to chant the Hindu religious slogan “Jai Shri Ram,” in an attack captured on video that has reignited concerns over the normalization of anti-Muslim vigilantism in the country.

The incident took place earlier this week in the Lambhua area of Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur district. Videos circulating widely on social media appear to show a group of men surrounding the victims while they sat on a motorcycle before repeatedly slapping, kicking and dragging them to the ground.

In the footage, the assailants can be heard confronting the two men and asking, “You live in India and you won’t say Jai Shri Ram?” The attackers allegedly demanded the victims’ mobile phones and attempted to take away their motorcycle before the assault ended.

Police said they took suo motu cognizance of the viral videos and opened an investigation without waiting for a formal complaint from the victims. The Lambhua area officer said two suspects had been identified and police teams had been deployed to arrest them.

“Further legal action will be taken after their arrest,” the officer said. No arrests had been announced at the time of publication.

The slogan “Jai Shri Ram” has in recent years become closely associated with Hindu nationalist mobilization and anti-Muslim vigilantism. The chant has repeatedly echoed through incidents of mob lynchings, attacks on mosques and public assaults targeting Muslims, with victims often forced to recite it under threat of violence.

Rights advocates say its use in such episodes reflects an effort not only to intimidate minorities but also to assert Hindu majoritarian dominance over public life.