Community leaders appeal to the Superintendent of Police for justice, claiming Hindus started the violence while innocents are being harassed
NEW DELHI – A small argument late on 6 March turned into a nasty fight in Rajasthan’s Tonk with stones thrown from both sides. It started between Muslims coming back from Taraweeh (special night prayers in Ramadan) in the Deshwali area and some from the Valmiki community, who are mostly Hindus. Several people got hurt, and the place was tense for a bit. Now, Muslims say the police are only going after them, letting the real troublemakers off.
The police showed up quickly and rounded up about a dozen people, but Muslims say most of those picked up are from their group, even if they did nothing wrong. On 9 March, a group of Muslim leaders met Superintendent of Police Rajesh Meena and handed over a note asking for a fair look into things and to stop bothering innocent people.
One leader in the group said the police were acting in a biased manner. “The police are harassing some people without cause, and this is making more trouble in the area,” the note said.
Superintendent Meena told them he would make sure the check is fair. “An impartial investigation would be conducted and only the guilty would be prosecuted,” he said. He added that they are keeping a close watch.
But many in the Muslim community do not buy it. They say the Valmiki group started it all by picking on the people returning from prayers. “Some from the Valmiki community mistreated us as we walked home after Taraweeh. When we tried to sort it out, they got angry and stones started flying,” said Ahmed Khan. He did not want trouble but felt he had to speak up.
This is not the first time Tonk has seen such fights. The town has a history of bad blood between groups, often with Muslims feeling the heat from police and Hindu crowds. Back in 2018, stones were thrown at a Hindu rally, and eight people got hurt, including police. But reports say it was Hindus who stirred things up in mixed areas. In another case from 2023, Muslims protested the police raid on a mosque, calling it targeted.
Locals point out that in Rajasthan, under BJP rule for years, Muslims often get the short end of the stick. Human rights reports talk about police using too much force on Muslims, like in fake encounters or knocking down their homes with bulldozers for no good reason. One report said 80% of hate speeches against Muslims happen in states like Rajasthan, and it gets worse around election time.
A big worry is how Hindu groups push stories that make Muslims look bad. For example, in Malpura near Tonk, claims of Muslims harassing Hindus led to many leaving the area, but Muslims say it’s the other way round—Hindus starting fights to grab land. Now, there’s this new law in 2026 called the Disturbed Areas Bill, which stops property sales in communally tense spots. It looks like it’s to help Hindus, but critics say it’s just to keep Muslims out and make them sell their lands cheaply.
In this latest mess, the Muslim group stood firm. “The Muslim community stands with the police in keeping law and order,” their note said. But they want strict steps against those who really did wrong, no matter which side. “No innocent person should be prosecuted,” they added.
Fatima Begum, a woman from Deshwali, shared her fear. “We were just praying and coming home. Now our boys are in lockup, and the ones who started it walk free. It’s not fair. This happens too much to us Muslims,” she said.
Police say the area is calm now, with teams keeping vigil around to check. But the talk in town is about bias. One resident, who did not give his name, said, “Hindus throw stones, but police blame us. Look at how they handle cow cases or rallies—always soft on them.”
This comes after other bad news in Tonk. Just last month, a former BJP MP was caught on video not giving blankets to Muslim women, saying they abuse the prime minister. It sparked a huge uproar and showed how deep the hate goes.
Muslims in Tonk hope that SP Meena keeps his word. They want peace, but fair play too.
This case shows bigger problems in Rajasthan, where Muslims feel under attack from police and Hindu groups. Reports say vigilantes kill Muslims over cows, and police look the other way. In places like Tonk, mixed with history and faith, small fights turn big because of old grudges.
