Three Muslim students offering namaz at Ideal College in Maharashtra’s Kalyan were humiliated by VHP and Bajrang Dal members as police watched; the college now prepares to act against the victims
MUMBAI — A shocking incident at Ideal College in Kalyan in Maharashtra’s Thane District has raised serious concern among Muslims after Hindu groups forced three Muslim students to apologise for offering namaz. The students were pushed into touching the feet of an idol while police officers stood by and watched.
A video of the Muslim boys offering namaz in an empty classroom went viral, after which members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal rushed to the college and created a ruckus. They accused the students of hurting Hindu sentiments and demanded strict action.
One of the Muslim students told reporters that they did not expect such a reaction. “We were only praying for a few minutes in an empty room. We did not want to hurt anyone. We did not break anything or disturb anyone,” he said.
However, instead of settling the matter quietly, the situation turned into a public humiliation. A second video surfaced showing the three Muslim boys being ordered by members of the Hindutva groups to do sit-ups and apologise in front of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
The video also shows the accused threatening the boys. One member of the group can be heard shouting that they should be punished. They forced the students to touch the idol’s feet. As the terrified boys did so, several men shouted “Jai Shri Ram”.
A local Muslim resident who witnessed the scene said, “They treated the children like criminals. The police were standing there and did nothing. The boys were crying. This is not law; this is bullying.”
According to eyewitnesses, police arrived soon after the disturbance began. Instead of stopping the bullying, officers allowed the Hindutva men to continue their behaviour. Many Muslims in the area say this is becoming common in BJP-ruled states.
A parent of one of the Muslim boys said, “My son was forced to bend before an idol. This is not apology; this is humiliation. The police should have protected him. Instead, they let these groups do whatever they wanted.”
When police reached the spot, the Ideal College administration told them it was an internal matter and said they would manage it themselves. The three Muslim students apologised to the administration, saying they never meant to violate any rules.
But members of VHP and Bajrang Dal insisted that the boys must apologise again, this time in front of the idol, with cameras recording everything.
Shockingly, despite the public humiliation, the college now says it is preparing to take action against the same victimised students.
A college official said, “Religious activities are not allowed on campus. If such things happen again, strict action will be taken. The rules of the institution must be followed.”
Many Muslim parents say the college is acting under pressure from the Hindu groups instead of protecting its own students.
Muslims say what happened in Kalyan is part of a larger pattern. Recently in Pune, BJP MP Medha Kulkarni poured cow urine inside a fort after a group of Muslim women offered namaz there. Instead of questioning the MP, police filed an FIR only against the Muslim women.
A Muslim social worker in Mumbai said, “This is not law and order. This is one-sided targeting. Hindu groups do whatever they want, and Muslims are punished even when they pray quietly.”
The Muslim community is now demanding a fair investigation, action against those who humiliated the boys, and protection for Muslim students.
A community elder said, “If Muslim children cannot even pray quietly without being attacked, what does this say about safety? Today it is namaz, tomorrow it will be something else.”
The videos from Kalyan continue to circulate widely online, drawing strong criticism from Muslim organisations across the country. Many have called for action against the VHP and Bajrang Dal activists who forced the Muslim boys to bow before the idol.
For now, the college has said it will “look into the matter,” but the community fears Muslim students may face punishment and the Hindutva men will be spared.
