Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Emboldened by official apathy and their unrestrained assaults on gullible Muslims on the pretext of protecting cows, cow vigilantes in Punjab’s Mansa city recently assaulted a Sikh truck driver for allegedly transporting cattle. The assailants not only brutally assaulted the driver but also stripped him of his turban.
A viral video shows the vigilantes confronting the driver, harassing and hurling abuses at him. The Hindutva group is heard saying “Is ki Maa gayi hogi Muslaman ke pass?? Tera papa Mulla tha kya”, calling him “progeny of Muslims”.
The assailants could further be seen slapping the Sikh driver and stripping him of his turban, media reports reaching here said on Sunday.
A similar incident occurred on the same day in Gujarat’s Mahesana city where three Muslim men faced brutal violence from cow vigilantes while transporting cattle through a village. A viral video shows a group of 10 to 20 individuals brutally attacking the men and beating them with big wooden logs. The young men are seen pleading for mercy while the individuals continue their attacks.
These incidents have further highlighted the alarming trend of mob violence linked to cow protection efforts mostly in BJP-ruled states.
They are also part of a broader pattern of violence associated with cow vigilantism in India. Bajrang Dal members have been involved in several instances of religious vigilantism and hate crimes across the country. In recent years, the group has been accused of stopping inter-faith marriages, harassing couples celebrating Valentine’s Day, and even attacking Indian Christians accusing them of religious conversion.
