Mumbai: Communal violence against the Muslim community has increased post the Lok Sabha 2024 elections as per the latest report by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR). The report documents various instances of lynching, mob lynching and unlawful demolition against the Muslim community since the announcement of the election results.
Delhi-based APCR has recently published a report tracking the surge in incidents of lynching, mob violence, and demolitions after declaration of results of the General Election on June 4. It has compiled the findings into a comprehensive brief report, highlighting the alarming frequency and severity of these events. The report aims to shed light on the ongoing crisis and advocate for urgent legal and societal measures to address and prevent such atrocities.
APCR’s report highlights six incidents of lynching from Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal that was targetted against nine individuals including men and women. Three Muslim men were beaten to death in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur for transporting while a woman in the state’s Dantewada was killed for converting to Christianity. Three people were lynched in West Bengal’s Kolkata and UP’s Shamli on suspicion of theft.
The report also mentioned five communal mob violence incidents in Telangana, Odisha, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh which included stone pelting, torching a shop on fire and attack on madrasa among others. The violence in these instances erupted due to reasons like allegations of cow slaughter, suspicion of storing beef, installation of religious flags and sharing pictures of animal sacrifice on social media.
The report specifically highlights three incidents of demolition carried out by the authorities in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Homes belonging to Muslims were demolished by authorities in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandla and Ratlam for allegedly possessing cow meat and throwing bovine remains at a temple. Another large-scale demolition was carried out in Akbarnagar in UP’s Lucknow.
Nadeem Khan, secretary of APCR, said, “We express profound concern over the alarming increase in communal violence, lynching incidents, and demolitions targeting the Muslim community across various regions of the country following the recent Lok Sabha elections. The state governments, both BJP and Congress must take a firm stand against these heinous acts of violence and ensure the safety and security of every citizen. MPs of the INDIA alliance and those in the opposition should strongly address these concerns in the parliament.”
Following the release of this report, several Muslim bodies have raised concerns regarding the surge in violence targeted against the community. Delhi-based Jamaat-e-Islami Hind had organised a press conference and demanded justice for the victims citing APCR’s report. Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind had also condemned the mob lynchings and called it barbarism.
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