Hindutva mob attacks Muslim man’s shop for sharing picture of cow slaughter on WhatsApp

A video of a Hindutva mob attacking and vandalising a Muslim-owned shop in Nahan town of Himachal Pradesh, India, surfaced on social media.

The incident occurred after the shop's owner shared a picture of cow slaughter on Eid-ul-Adha on his WhatsApp status.

The video showed the police standing idle while the mob forcibly opened the shop, threw out the merchandise, and chanted Islamophobic slogans, calling for the killing of Muslims.

Following the incident, the police shut the shop and dispersed the crowd.

As per reports, the Hindutva mob created chaos in the area and warned residents not to rent shops to Muslims, threatening those who had already done so to cancel their contracts.

Indian Muslim politician, Asadudding Owaisi criticised the handling of the situation by the police and questioned their impartiality in such sensitive and critical moments.

“If the looters were Muslim and the shopkeeper was Hindu, the police would not be mute spectators,” he said.

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If the looters were Muslim and the shopkeeper was a Hindu, the police would not be mute spectators. But I guess “mohabbat ki dukaan,” is a jumla just like “sabka saath.” https://t.co/Gi23GJbXU6

— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) June 19, 2024

The 42-year-old shop owner, Mohammad Rafiq, had shared a video of animal sacrifice on his WhatsApp status, sparking the anger of right-wing Hindu extremists, who then organised an anti-Muslim rally.

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After looting and vandalizing the Muslim youth's shop, the Hindu community gathered outside the Nahan DC office, shouting slogans like "Goli Maaro saalo ko" and "Jai Shri Ram".#HimachalPradesh pic.twitter.com/rtGMb8sBGT

— Meer Faisal (@meerfaisal001) June 19, 2024

The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh condemned the violence and pledged a full investigation. 

“We will ensure that those responsible are brought to justice. No one is above the law, and such acts of violence will not be tolerated,” he said.

Mob lynchings of Muslims by Hindutva extremists over cow protection have become increasingly frequent in India. 

The BJP’s third term in power, with an anti-Muslim agenda as a focal point of its election campaign, has raised concerns about the increase in such incidents.