BHOPAL — The targeting of Muslims by Hindutva groups in India continues to escalate, with new incidents emerging frequently. In the latest case from Tamkhan village, Dewas district, Madhya Pradesh, two Muslim men, Mohsin and Akbar, were paraded by the police after being accused of spitting from a tractor during the Narmada Parikrama Yatra. Members of a Hindu organisation present at the scene raised religious slogans as the police arrested both men and confiscated their tractor.
Tensions intensified on Monday, 17 February, following an alleged altercation between a couple and a group of Muslim youths in Tamkhan village, under the Khategaon police station area. The incident triggered protests, police action, and arrests.
According to reports, Prakash and his wife, residents of Burdwani, were passing through Tamkhan village on a motorcycle when they were allegedly stopped near a mosque by four Muslim youths. The couple claimed that during a heated exchange, the youths verbally abused them and one of them spat on the woman.
Prakash alleged, “The Muslim boy spat on us. We informed our colleagues in Rajour village, following which locals gathered at the spot and started protesting.”
The police swiftly registered a case against three individuals. Two of them, Mohsin Akram and Islam, were arrested and taken on a public procession from the police station to the tehsil office, while the third accused remains at large.
Following the incident, local authorities also took action against illegal sand mining in the area. Based on complaints from residents, who claimed the accused were involved in unlawful activities, bulldozers were deployed to block their transportation routes.
SVM Tehsildar, who oversaw the operation, stated, “We had received several complaints of illegal sand mining here. Today, we have taken strict steps to stop this activity.”
This incident has added to the growing communal tensions in the region, where disputes over renaming villages have already caused friction. Recently, there has been controversy over changing the name of Makhan village to Napur, part of a larger plan to rename 54 villages in four districts.
Local reactions to the case have been mixed. “Such incidents deepen the rift between communities. The administration should ensure justice without any bias,” said Ramesh Patel, a resident of Rajour village.
Meanwhile, members of Hindu organisations joined the police procession, chanting “Jai Shri Ram” and demanding stringent punishment for the accused. The police assured the public that investigations were ongoing and that the absconding suspect would be arrested soon.
However, some locals have strongly questioned the fairness of the police’s actions. Muhammad Rehman, a resident of the village, refuted the allegations entirely saying, “The incident never happened. No Muslim spat on anyone. This is a fabricated charge by the police to appease Hindutva forces.”
Another local resident, Abdul Haq, criticised the public parade of the accused, calling it an act of humiliation. “If they were accused of a crime, they should have been taken into custody properly, not paraded through the streets. This is inhumane. We have seen lynchings across India where Hindutva mobs have killed hundreds of Muslims. Who would have been responsible if something similar happened here?”
The treatment of Muslims in such cases continues to raise concerns over the rule of law and police impartiality. Many argue that while Hindutva groups regularly incite violence and communal hatred without consequences, Muslims face swift and severe punishment, often without proper investigation.
“Time and again, we see Muslims being framed based on false accusations while those responsible for actual communal violence remain free. This selective justice will only deepen divisions in our society,” said a social activist from Bhopal, speaking on condition of anonymity.
