Rights groups have urged the Haryana government to stop arbitrary detentions and set up fair verification systems
GURUGRAM — Fresh concern has been raised over the treatment of Bengali Muslims in Gurugram, Haryana, after reports revealed that police have been arresting them despite having valid Indian documents.
Rights activists say this is part of a wider campaign, quietly ordered by the central government, to identify “illegal Bangladeshi citizens” across the country – but in practice, it is affecting Indian Muslims the most.
The latest case involves Noor Alam, a delivery worker from Malda district in West Bengal. Alam, who lived in Sector 34, was picked up by Gurugram Police late on Wednesday night despite possessing valid Aadhaar card.
“I had just come back from duty and was having food when police knocked at my door,” media reports quoted Alam as saying on Thursday. “I showed them my Aadhaar card, but they still arrested me. I was kept in the police station all night and then sent to a camp where around 150 people were already there,” he said.
The crackdown comes after an order from the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, instructing state authorities to take strict action against illegal Bangladeshi nationals. While the campaign has been rolled out nationwide, reports suggest that it is being enforced more aggressively in BJP-ruled states.
In Gurugram and Delhi NCR, Bengali-speaking Muslims have faced the brunt of the campaign. Families complain that police raids have become common, with officers demanding identity papers late at night and detaining people even after documents are shown.
“This is harassment, plain and simple,” said Abdul Rahman, a social worker in Gurugram. “The Constitution guarantees equality, but here, Indian Muslims are being punished for their language and religion. If they speak Bengali and are Muslim, they are treated as Bangladeshis.”
In Alam’s case, the police eventually contacted his native village in West Bengal for verification. Officers at Chanchal police station in Malda confirmed that Alam’s family lived there. Only after this confirmation he was released.
By then, however, the damage was done. Humiliated and traumatised, Alam left his job and returned to his village. “I could not stay there after what happened,” he said. “I was working honestly to support my family, but they treated me like a criminal.”
The arrests have spread fear among Bengali Muslims in Gurugram. Many say they now avoid moving outside after dark or keep their documents on them at all times.
“How can we live like this?” asked Fatima Bibi, a domestic worker from Malda who lives in Gurugram. “Even with Aadhaar, ration card and voter ID, we are still suspects. What else do they want from us?”
Rights groups have urged the Haryana government to stop arbitrary detentions and set up fair verification systems.
“If someone is genuinely an illegal immigrant, there are legal ways to deal with it,” said Mohammad Rashid, a Delhi-based lawyer. “But you cannot arrest and humiliate citizens who already have Indian papers. This is not justice, this is targeting.”
The incident has renewed debate about what many call “bulldozer and detention politics” in BJP-ruled states. Activists say that while the government frames these actions as law and order measures, they disproportionately impact Muslims.
“First they bulldoze Muslim homes, now they are arresting Bengali Muslims with Aadhaar cards,” said local activist Shahid Anwar. “The message is clear – Muslims are being treated as outsiders in their own country.”
For Alam, the experience has left a deep scar. “I only wanted to earn money for my family,” he said quietly. “But in Gurugram, they saw me as a foreigner, not as an Indian. That is the pain I will never forget.”
