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Uttarakhand: Men who assaulted the Kashmiri shawl seller, Bilal Ahmed Ganie, were arrested on December 26, after a video of the assault reached Udham Singh Nagar’s Senior Superintendent of Police, Manikant Mishra, who confirmed the case has been registered.

In a video statement released on X, SSP Mishra stated that the case has been booked under sections 191(2) (Rioting), 115(2) (Voluntarily causing hurt), 351(3) (Criminal intimidation), 352 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke), 304 (Snatching), 62 (Serious offenses), 292 (Public nuisance), and 126(2) (Wrongful restraint) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The police official also noted the serious nature of the video and asserted that action is being taken to delete the video from all social media platforms.

“A video went viral on social media, which showed some Kashipuri youth harassing a young Kashmiri shawl seller, Bilal, who has been trading in the area for the past 9 years. We have taken action against the video and have also attempted to remove it from social media platforms. After actively trying to identify the assailants in the video, we have taken them into custody for further investigation.”

He added that those continuing to share the video, despite being warned, will face consequences.

Asked to say ‘Bharat mata ki jai,’

28-year-old Bilal Ahmed Ganie was assaulted and intimidated by men who are reportedly associated with Bajrang Dal for being a Kashmiri Muslim. They demanded he chant “Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” since he earns and sustains himself in the country.

The video of the incident shows a man identified as Ankur Singh saying, “Tu Bharat ka khaata hai, Bharat ka kamaata hai, Bharat mata ki jai bol, (You eat and earn from India, so say ‘Bharat mata ki jai’).”

He allegedly posted the video on his Instagram account and later deleted it.

Kashmiri political leaders and organisations have called for strict action against the assault.

The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) wrote to Uttarakhand‘s Director General of Police, urging for strict action against the accused men, claiming that they even threatened to take Ahmad’s life. “Despite his long-standing presence and peaceful conduct, he was brutally assaulted, his stock of shawls looted, and he was threatened with death,” the organisation wrote.

National Conference (NC) Lok Sabha MP Ruhullah Mehdi condemned the incident and said coercing any citizen to prove patriotism through compelled speech violates constitutional freedoms.

“Reports from Uttarakhand indicating that a Kashmiri trader was assaulted for refusing to chant a slogan on religious grounds are deeply troubling. Coercing any citizen to prove patriotism through compelled speech violates constitutional freedoms and human dignity,” The Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar said in a post on X.

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