Hindutva mob sets mosque on fire, fatally shoots imam in India

Haryana's Nuh district in India witnessed a disturbing escalation of violence following a procession orchestrated by an extreme right-wing group called Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), leading to widespread clashes that later spread to Gurugram, a city in northern India. The conflict resulted in tragic casualties and injuries as a frenzied Hindutva mob targeted a mosque, leaving the region tense and on edge, as reported by the Maktoob Media.

A Hindutva mob set fire to a mosque and opened fire, resulting in casualties, including the fatal shooting of Maulana Saad, the Imam of Anjuman Masjid in Gurugram's Sector 57. Two others were injured in the assault. The conflict has claimed at least four lives, including two Home Guards and an unidentified person, with around 20 others sustaining injuries

In response to the situation, authorities have invoked Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, imposing prohibitory orders to prevent gatherings of five or more people in the district. Additionally, as part of crisis management efforts, internet services have been temporarily suspended.

The tension has its origins in a social media video featuring Monu Mansar, a suspected perpetrator in the abduction and murder of two young Muslim men in Rajasthan earlier this year. The prospect of Monu's participation in the procession was met with opposition from locals in Nuh, who expressed concerns about potential disruptions to communal harmony in the region.

The outbreak of violence occurred when a procession of vehicles carrying devotees arrived at Nuh Chowk. Unconfirmed rumors about Monu's presence inside the vehicles incited stone-pelting by a few adolescents, triggering a chain reaction as the mob from neighboring villages joined in, leading to an uncontrolled rampage that unleashed devastation on the streets of Nuh and Gurugram.

By: Mustafa Ghanim