Gulf News

Clerics beaten up for wearing headscarve­s

THE ‘MAULVIS’ WERE TRAVELLING FROM DELHI TO BAGHPAT WHEN THEY WERE ATTACKED

- BY KARUNA MADAN Correspond­ent

T hree Muslims clerics (maulvis) were attacked with sharp objects in Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh (UP) by unknown assailants who also allegedly tried to throw them off a moving train reportedly after an argument over covering their heads with headscarve­s.

The clerics suffered injuries and are undergoing treatment at the district hospital.

According to the police, the clerics boarded a passenger train in Delhi on Wednesday night and were on their way to their village in Baghpat when they were assaulted.

“The train was about to reach Aheda village when the Muslim men started to wear their shoes to get down. It was at that moment that they were attacked with iron rods and an ice pick. All three clerics have suffered severe wounds and are being treated at the district hospital in Baghpat,” Baghpat Superinten­dant of Police (SP) Jaiprakash Singh informed Gulf News.

Singh said the police have registered a case and are on the look out for the culprits.

“The police have registered a First Informatio­n Report (FIR) against unidentifi­ed attackers. It looks to be a case of hate crime,” Northern Railways’ Public Relations Officer Nitin Chaudhary told media persons.

Clerics Abrar, Gulzar and Israr complained that they were also pushed out of the train, but the police is yet to confirm it.

“When I asked the attackers why they were hitting us, they said nothing and kept assaulting us. One of the attackers said ‘rumaal kyon pehente ho sar par’

(why are you covering your head with handkerchi­ef). He was apparently referring to our ‘keffiyeh’ (headscarf),” Israr told media

Gulzar also confirmed that the only issue the assailants had with the clerics was the handkerchi­ef covering their head.

“This has never happened before. We were sitting on the upper berths and were about to reach our station. When we tried to get down, the people sitting on the lower berths locked the doors and windows.

“When we asked them why they were locking the windows, they said ‘you will soon get to know’ and started beating us. They kept asking us why we had our head covered with a handkerchi­ef,” Gulzar said.

Soon after the incident, Abrar informed the villagers who rushed them to the hospital.

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