Haryana Police’s move to search every madrasa, mosque, and rented home in Muslim-majority Nuh sparks concerns over selective suspicion after Delhi car blast
NEW DELHI – Police in Haryana’s Nuh, have launched wide search operations across mosques, madrasas, rented houses, and workplaces after the recent Delhi car blast, sparking anger among local Muslims who say they are being treated as suspects simply for their identity.
The order came after the Superintendent of Police for Nuh district, Rajesh Kumar, held a meeting with all station heads and directed them to carry out checks across the district. Nuh is a Muslim-majority area, and the police move has raised questions about selective policing.
Speaking to the media, SP Rajesh Kumar said the police were acting to stop any “terrorist or anti-social” activity. He said, “The police are on alert. We will pay special attention to those working in schools, colleges, madrasas, factories, private institutions, and other workplaces, including people who have come from outside.”
He added that the police would collect information from these places and send the data to investigative agencies.
“After questioning and investigating these places and people, all data will be sent to investigative agencies so that any suspicious activity can be stopped in time,” he said.
The SP also instructed officers to monitor old vehicles closely. “Criminals often commit crimes using old vehicles, so special attention will be paid to them,” he said, urging landlords to do police verification before renting out rooms.
Many Muslims in Nuh say the police action feels less like safety and more like pressure on the entire community. Local resident Shahid Ali said, “Our mosques and madrasas are places of prayer and study. Why are they checking only Muslim places? This makes us feel as if we are all under suspicion.”
Another resident, a schoolteacher who asked not to be named, said the action was one-sided. “If a criminal passed through Nuh, how does that mean the whole district must be treated like this? This is not fair. People are scared,” he said.
Community elders said they feared the move would deepen mistrust between the police and ordinary Muslims.
Retired madrasa teacher Abdul Rehman said, “Our youth already face discrimination in jobs and housing. Now even our places of worship are being checked. It pains us.”
The police action comes after investigators revealed that Dr Umar-un Nabi, the main accused in the Delhi car bombing case, had visited a mosque in Nuh before the incident.
Muslim leaders argue that the visit of a single individual should not be used to justify mass checks of all Muslim institutions.
A Nuh shopkeeper, Irfan Qureshi, said, “If a criminal visits a market, do they check all shops? No. But when he visits a mosque, suddenly every Muslim place is searched. This is not equal treatment.”
Rights activists and Muslim residents say such actions feed a wider pattern where Muslims are routinely placed under suspicion whenever an incident occurs, regardless of evidence.
Local social worker Samina Khan said, “There must be fair investigations. But checking only Muslim houses, Muslim schools, and Muslim religious places looks like targeting. People feel punished for someone else’s crime.”
She added, “Security is important, but dignity is also important. Muslims are citizens too.”
Many in Nuh demanded that the government and police communicate better with the community rather than treating them as suspects.
Youth volunteer Faizan Ahmed said, “If the police want information, they can talk to us. We are ready to help. But coming into every mosque and madrasa without reason creates fear.”
Community elders urged authorities to handle the matter with sensitivity. “Nuh has always cooperated with security agencies,” said a local imam. “But this kind of blanket checking makes relations weak. We want respect, not suspicion.”
