Hindu nationalists criticize international students for praying during Ramadan in India
Authorities in western India have opened an inquiry into allegations that far-right Hindu nationalists attacked international college students who were praying during the holy month of Ramadan, CNN reported.
This episode occurs in the run-up to an important general election, amid simmering religious tensions. Conflicts broke out at Gujarat University on Saturday when students from a number of nations, including Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Tajikistan, began praying on campus, according to Ahmedabad police. After fights, two persons were taken into custody.
A group of twenty to twenty-five people accosted the youngsters, according to Commissioner GS Malik, and insisted they should worship in a mosque. Stone-throwing and damage to the student housing resulted from this altercation. At least two injuries to international students have been reported by the Ministry of External Affairs.
As a result, the state administration promised to take severe measures against the offenders, according to social media spokeswoman Randhir Jaiswal. This episode is the latest in a string of intercommunal conflicts in India, which is indicative of the rising religious divisiveness under the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Witnesses said how a group screaming Hindu chants disrupted the kids during prayers, resulting in violent altercations and further destruction. Videos of the violent incident are making the rounds on the internet. People can be heard yelling “Jai Shree Ram,” which is a Hindu rallying cry against Muslims.
Three individuals interrupted their prayers at first, according to an Afghan student, but things got out of hand when more people showed up and started throwing stones and breaking things. The students begged the university to move them to a safe area because they were afraid for their safety even though they were allowed to worship on campus.
The vice chancellor of the institution acknowledged the fights and promised that an inquiry was still underway, with police examining security footage to ascertain what precipitated the altercation.
Analysts have expressed concern about the rising levels of intolerance and religious tensions in India, especially in light of Modi’s and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) divisive policies ahead of the next national election.
The recent occurrences in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, like as the flying of saffron flags over a Christian church, highlight the widening religious rift.
Prominent individuals such as Muslim MP Asaduddin Owaisi condemned the violence in Gujarat and blamed the Modi government for “mass radicalization” and selective anger against nonviolent religious traditions.
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