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Fringe group attacks shanty-dweller Muslims in UP falsely calling them Bangladeshi infiltrators
An FIR has been lodged against Hindu Raksha Dal chief Pinky and 20 others for rioting, hurting religious feelings and other offences.
A group of right-wing extremists attacked Muslims living near a railway station in Ghaziabad on Friday evening, accusing them of being Bangladeshi infiltrators. The assault, carried out by members of the Hindu Raksha Dal, left several residents injured and their makeshift shelters destroyed.
The attack, which took place around 7:30 p.m., was led by Bhupendra Chowdhary, known as 'Pinky,' the president of the Hindu Raksha Dal. He and about 20 of his supporters descended on the shanties, accusing the residents of being illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
The group shouted anti-Bangladeshi slogans as they vandalised the shelters and assaulted the residents, most of whom were Muslims, according to police.
Sub-Inspector Sanjiv Kumar, who was on duty nearby, reported that he arrived at the scene with his team to find Pinky and his supporters abusing and assaulting some Muslims while shouting anti-Bangladeshi slogans.
"I tried to explain to them that these people are not from Bangladesh, but they continued beating them and damaging their shelters," Kumar recounted in his complaint.
Ghaziabad Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra confirmed that the residents were not Bangladeshi nationals.
"Those living in the shanties are from Shahjahanpur, not Bangladesh," Mishra said, adding that the police are considering invoking the National Security Act (NSA) against the perpetrators.
ACP (Kavinagar) Abhishek Srivastava said that legal action will be taken against those involved and the culprits will be apprehended soon.
An FIR has been lodged against Pinky and 20 unidentified individuals for rioting, voluntarily causing hurt, and other offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The charges also include deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings, as the victims were targeted for their Muslim identity.
Attack on Hindus in Bangladesh
The attack comes at a time when Hindus and other minority communities in Bangladesh are facing attacks in 52 districts since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5.
Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus on Saturday condemned attacks on the minority communities in the violence-hit nation, terming them as "heinous", and urged the youth to protect all Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist families from harm.
With PTI inputs
