'Goons insulting Hindu culture': Congress criticizes attack on Muslim vendor
The Congress and other Opposition parties have criticized the attack on a Muslim bangle seller in Madhya Pradesh's Indore over the weekend. They said such goons insult the Hindu culture and questioned if there is any rule of law in force in the state. The 25-year-old man was beaten up by a mob in Indore for allegedly concealing his identity.
'A prelude to inciting communal conflict'
Congress leader P Chidambaram has said, "These incidents are a prelude to inciting communal conflict, violence and polarization in the run up to the next round of state elections." "Ghaziabad, Kanpur, and now Indore. Who are these persons who are emboldened to decide what is right and what is wrong?," the former Union Minister said, according to news agency PTI.
'Is this the rule of law?'
Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "The poor bangle seller will be beaten up and sent to jail too." "These goons are insulting the great Hindu culture by spreading violence...Is this the rule of law?" he said in a tweet written in Hindi.
'Hatred spreading like cancer,' says Asaduddin Owaisi
Furthermore, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi also slammed the attack on the bangle seller. "'Virat Hindutvawadi' sometimes kills a Muslim fakir to make themselves feel grand, and sometimes beats up a bangle seller by gathering a crowd. If the society does not fight this thinking, it will keep spreading like cancer," he tweeted today.
Tasleem Ali was beaten up on Sunday
Tasleem Ali, 25, was beaten up on Sunday while selling bangles in an Indore locality. Locals alleged he was trying to conceal his identity by carrying fake ID cards. Ali, however, has denied that allegation. He said the accused men broke his mobile phone, stole Rs. 10,000 cash from him and the bags containing the bangles. Three people have been arrested for the attack.
Ali booked for sexual harassment after minor girl's complaint
However, the incident took a dramatic turn when Ali himself was charged by the police for molestation and fraud. A minor girl, the daughter of one of the accused men, alleged he had passed lewd comments and touched her inappropriately. He has since been booked under the POCSO Act and various sections of the Indian Penal Code related to forgery, cheating, and criminal intimidation.