Dehradun: Members of Bajrang Dal confronted a Muslim man following Friday namaz on July 3 and accused him of converting his home into a mosque in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand’s Dehradun district.
Mohammad Idris claimed that prayers have been organised at his house in the Gumaniwala area for the last six years, and the local administration is aware of the arrangement.
The incident began when Bajrang Dal workers stopped one of the worshippers and asked for his identity and Aadhaar card. The man said he was originally from Bihar, raising the Hindutva group’s suspicions.
They later called Idris outside and accused him and his family of organising “illegal” prayers by “inviting” people from other states and districts as well as an Imam from outside to lead the prayers.
Uttarakhand Bajrang Dal leader Naresh Uniyal shared a video on his Facebook account, where his group members were seen arguing with Idris and his family.
The Hindutva workers said they had repeatedly inquired about the prayers. “Bajrang Dal lodged even police complaints questioning why they are inviting outsiders into the neighbourhood and gradually settling them there,” wrote Uniyal on Facebook.
They claimed that Idris’ son became “aggressive and resorted to threats” during the argument. Both sides were briefly involved in a heated argument, while the police attempted to intervene and bring the situation under control.
“Galli waalo se hamein kuch dikkat nahi hai. Jaga-jaga se log aa rahe hain toh matlab kya hai? Kabhi hum aapke ghar nahi aaye. Hum thodi roksakte hain aapko namaz ghar mein padne se. (We have no issue with the local residents. But what is the meaning of people coming in from all over the place? We have never intruded into your homes; we certainly cannot stop you from offering prayers within your own house),” said the Bajrang Dal member.
One of the Hindutva workers cited multiple incidents where a mosque was built on private property after gathering worshippers. “Hindu residents are living in fear, as the family picks fights with them and threatens to implicate them in false legal cases. Even members of the Muslim community have acknowledged that these actions are wrong,” the group said.
They added, “In the holy city of Rishikesh, mosques or activities related to other religions are not permitted to be established or conducted.”
Rishikesh Sub-Inspector said no such incident was reported at the police station, adding that the footage will be reviewed.
