In the Mainpuri district of Uttar Pradesh on November 19, 2023, a group of Muslim youths were allegedly attacked by a BJP leader and his associates at a petrol pump. The attack was triggered by a dispute over jumping the queue to get CNG filled in the car. The attackers also shouted communal slogans and snatched the mobile phone of a witness who was recording the incident.
The Muslim youth were in a queue to get CNG filled in their car, when another car owner, who was allegedly a BJP leader, barged in to get his car filled first, according to a report by The Wire. A heated argument between the two sides soon escalated into a violent clash.
According to the report, the petrol pump owner and his staff, also joined the BJP leader and his guards, in unleashing the attack on the Muslim youth with sticks and weapons, while shouting communal slurs hailing lord ‘Ram’.
The report also said that the police helpline was not working and that the petrol pump owner snatched the mobile phone of a bystander who was recording the incident.
A video of the incident was uploaded on YouTube by a user named Ravi Kumar, who claimed to be an eyewitness. The video showed a group of men beating up some youths, who were lying on the ground, bleeding.
The video also captured the sound of people shouting “Kill the Muslims, the butcherers” and “Jai Shri Ram”. The video had over 10,000 views and 500 comments, mostly condemning the attack and demanding justice for the victims.
One of the victims, Asif, was grievously injured in the attack and was rushed to a hospital in Agra. His friend, Faizan Khan, tweeted about the incident and shared a picture of Asif, who had bandages all over his head.
A resident of Mainpuri, Shweta Singh, also expressed her outrage over the incident on Facebook. She said that she was ashamed of the incident and that she did not endorse the BJP or its leader, who was involved in the attack.
She said that she was a Hindu, but she respected all religions and condemned the brutal attack on the Muslim youths. She also said that she knew the petrol pump owner personally and that he was a greedy and corrupt person. Demanding his immediate arrest, she urged the people of Mainpuri to shun his petrol pump. Her post garnered over 1,000 shares and 3,000 reactions, mostly positive.
Mainpuri Police said that it has registered a complaint in the relevant sections based on the CCTV footage, and further legal action is underway in the case.
