Police in Surat, Gujarat, governed by the BJP, have arrested 27 Muslims following a wave of anti-Muslim violence instigated by Hindu extremist mobs during a Hindu festival. The violence included attacks on Muslim-owned shops, vehicles, and a mosque.
The mobs claimed that children, allegedly from Dalit and Muslim communities and aged between 8 and 12, had thrown stones at an effigy during the festival celebrations.
Local residents, however, believe the stones may have hit the effigy by accident while the children were playing. The situation rapidly escalated as Hindu extremists called for the demolition of Muslim homes in the area, and mobs proceeded to target Muslim properties and a mosque.
The attackers, armed with sticks and rods, chanted “Jai Shri Ram” as they set fire to Muslim-owned motorcycles and other property. Tensions further intensified when Eid Milad-un-Nabi flags were forcibly removed, leading to outrage within the Muslim community.
As violence spread to other areas of Surat, local police came under fire for allegedly siding with the attackers. Despite the widespread destruction, most of the 27 people arrested so far are from the Muslim community.
