Muslim students forced to bow before idol at Indian college

Three Muslim students at an Indian college were allegedly coerced into bowing before an idol after they were found offering prayers in an empty classroom.

The incident occurred on November 23 at Ideal College in Kalyan, located in Maharashtra’s Thane district, according to a report.

Viral videos showed members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal confronting the students after a video of them performing prayers circulated locally. In the viral clip, the boys are seen praying quietly in an unused room.

According to witnesses, activists from the two groups arrived on campus shortly after the initial video spread. A second recording captures several men shouting at the students, instructing them to apologise for what they described as “hurting Hindu sentiments.”

The boys appear visibly upset as members of the groups demand they perform sit-ups and bow before an idol of Chhatrapati Shivaji. Police officers are present in the footage but do not intervene.

One of the students told reporters they had not disturbed anyone, saying, “We were only praying for a few minutes… we never imagined it would turn into this.”

A local resident who saw the confrontation described the scene as distressing. He said the boys “were treated like criminals” and claimed officers “stood there and did nothing.”

Parents of the students said their children returned home shaken. One father said his son had been compelled to bow before the idol, calling it “humiliation” rather than an apology.

Local community members have urged authorities to investigate how outsiders entered the campus and why law enforcement failed to stop the confrontation. No official statement had been issued by police or college administration at the time of reporting.