Five worshippers were injured after the supporters of the hardline Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vandalised a mosque in Jamua village in Bihar following a victory in India’s first state assembly election since the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic.
The mob, The Print said, was part of a victory procession.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s coalition retained power in India’s poorest state in what was a referendum on his handling of Covid19 and which may boost his chances in three more state elections next year.
At the time of vandalising, five people were inside the mosque offering Maghrib prayers and received severe injuries. Three people received head injuries, apart from injuries on their backs and are currently admitted to a hospital. One person received injuries to his nose.
Several vehicles were also vandalised, the report said. The mic of the mosque and its two gates were broken during the incident.
Mazhar Alam, the caretaker of the mosque, said that the mosque was pelted with stones during the Maghrib prayers. He told The Wire: “There were about 500 people in this juloos (procession) who were celebrating the win of Pawan Jaiswal in the assembly elections. When they came near the mosque, they started pelting stones at it. They broke its gates, its mic – all while chanting Jai Shri Ram (Hail Lord Ram).”
He said added that the mosque is one of the oldest in the area.
“Wo humko keh rahe the, tum log yahan se chale jao. Tumhara desh nahin hai ye (They told us to leave the country. This country is not yours),” he added.
“The Muslim families are scared now. But the administration has assured us that they are with us, and will not let anyone harm us,” he further said.
Abhay Kumar, station house officer of the Dhaka police station, confirmed the incident took place on Wednesday evening.
He said that an FIR has been registered and two people were arrested in the case so far.
A first information report (FIR) was registered and the police have invoked several sections of the Indian Penal Code including 145 (joining or continuing in unlawful assembly, knowing it has been commanded to disperse), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) and 307 (attempt to murder).
Jamua has a small Muslim population of about 20-25 families and a large Hindu population of 500 families. The village falls in the Dhaka state assembly seat, where a local BJP leader, Pawan Kumar Jaiswal, emerged victorious in the election results that were announced on Tuesday.
