Nadine Osman
Three young Muslim men were assaulted in Uttar Pradesh after suspected Hindu extremists asked them for their names and then forced them to chant the slogan “Jai Shri Ram.”
Aamir, 28; Wasim, 28; and Rizwan, 24, were travelling home by motorcycle on the evening of August 26 when they were intercepted near Partapur village in the Hapur district. A group of men stopped them, asked their names, and then began beating them with iron rods and sticks.
According to the survivors, the assailants hurled anti-Muslim slurs, including “Mulla” and “Katwa”, a derogatory reference to circumcision. Aamir and Rizwan managed to flee, but Wasim was caught, tied up, and severely beaten. He remains in critical condition at a private hospital in Pilkhuwa.
“They asked our names. Once they realised we were Muslims, they started abusing us and beating us,” Aamir told Maktoob Media. “They forced us to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. Wasim could not escape and was badly injured. Had we stayed, they would have lynched us.”
“Jai Shri Ram” — meaning “Hail Lord Rama” — is a traditional Hindu expression. In recent decades, however, it has been weaponised by Hindu nationalist groups and is frequently invoked during assaults on Muslims. Human rights groups have documented dozens of mob lynchings in which victims were coerced into chanting the slogan.
For many Indian Muslims, what was once a religious invocation has become a symbol of intimidation and humiliation.
FAMILY DEMANDS JUSTICE
Wasim’s brother, Afroz, who lodged the police complaint, insisted the men were targeted solely because of their faith.
“This was not a random attack. They targeted my brother and his friends for being Muslim. We demand the police arrest them immediately.”
Police have registered a case against four named suspects — Deepak, Nikhil, JJ Kant, and Pankaj — under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (India’s new criminal code) relating to wrongful restraint and attempted murder.
However, officers have downplayed allegations that the attack was a hate crime. Investigating officer Sudhir Kumar stated that, according to the police, the incident began when the victims were allegedly filming Instagram reels near a house and were mistaken for thieves, rather than being targeted for their faith.
Superintendent of Police Kunwar Gyananjay Singh, addressing the incident, stated, “The accused will not be spared. Teams are searching for their hideouts. Full support will be given to the victim’s family.”
RISING PATTERN OF VIOLENCE
The Hapur assault is part of a wider trend of anti-Muslim violence linked to Hindutva extremism. Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, has become the epicentre of such attacks since Yogi Adityanath — a Hindu monk from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — became chief minister in 2017.
At the core of this movement is the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist volunteer group often described as paramilitary. The RSS has long been accused of fomenting sectarian hatred and radicalising followers.
In recent years, Muslims in Uttar Pradesh and beyond have faced mob attacks. These are often carried out under accusations of cow slaughter or “love jihad” — a conspiracy theory alleging that Muslim men marry Hindu women to convert them. Human rights organisations have also condemned the demolition of Muslim homes and mosques. They claim this has occurred under BJP-led administrations as part of a campaign of erasure.
Groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch report that hate crimes against Muslims have surged under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. Uttar Pradesh has been repeatedly singled out for fostering an atmosphere of impunity.
Photo: Aamir (28), Wasim (28), and Rizwan (24) were assaulted near Partapur village in Hapur district, Uttar Pradesh, after suspected Hindu extremists asked their names and forced them to chant “Jai Shri Ram.” Wasim remains in critical condition. (Credit: @MaktoobMedia/X)
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