Uttarakhand: Bajrang Dal members disrupt Ramadan prayers, assault Imam and worshipper
Location: Sarana Kothi, Haldwani, Uttarakhand
Details: Members of the Hindutva extremist organization Bajrang Dal along with other community members in Haldwani, Uttarakhand stopped Taraveeh (special Ramadan prayers offered at night) in a building owned by lawyer Zafar Siddiqui. They slapped the Imam and assaulted a worshipper. The mob tried to attack Zafar but stopped when they came to know his profession. The police were present at the time of assault, but they did not take any action. The right-wing media outlets like Hindu Existence supported and justified the assault as “tit for tat”. They labelled the assault as a reaction to the denial of permission to Ram Navami processions in certain areas. (It is important to note that Ram Navami processions were carried out despite denial of permission in certain areas like Jahangirpuri.)
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