AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): On the eve of the 77th anniversary of India’s Republic Day, a violent incident in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal has intensified concerns over the safety of Muslim citizens and social coexistence.
According to reports, in the Julpia area under the Bishnupur police station, three Muslim meat traders, Feroz Ali, 35, Akash Ali, 37, and Ansar Ali, 29, were attacked by a crowd of around 40 to 50 people. The assailants allegedly stripped, humiliated, and severely beat the men and, despite their Indian citizenship, accused them of being “illegal Bangladeshis.”
The three men, longtime residents of the Baruipur area and owners of a meat shop in the Kachari market, had earlier that day faced a minor dispute over meat quality. In an effort to resolve the issue peacefully, they reportedly slaughtered additional livestock and refunded customers.
Later that evening, however, tensions escalated. Feroz Ali was stopped near a local intersection and dragged into the village, where he was surrounded by a crowd and assaulted while being subjected to religious slurs. When Akash Ali intervened to help, the violence intensified, and attackers allegedly demanded identity documents and subjected him to further humiliation.
The wife of one of the victims said she was assaulted and beaten while attempting to intervene, adding that the attackers looted the family’s property. Ansar Ali was also attacked while trying to rescue his relatives.
The three injured men were taken to Baruipur Hospital and later discharged, but they continue to suffer from physical and psychological trauma. Police said a case has been registered, three suspects have been arrested so far, and investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend others involved.
Human rights activists have described the incident as an example of targeted violence against Muslims and warned of a growing trend of communal labeling being used to justify attacks, developments they say stand in stark contradiction to the ideals of unity and equality associated with India’s Republic Day.
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