It is not clear where and when the video was shot; the incident shows the Islamophobic mindset of those wedded to the right-wing ideology
NEW DELHI – Symptomatic of the anti-Muslim hatred and a deep distrust towards the community, a woman denied a Muslim AC technician entry to her house, telling him to leave immediately. In the video, the technician, a victim of anti-Muslim hate, says the woman accused Muslims of “disrupting Hindustan.”
A viral video on social media shows the technician being intimidated and asked to leave the woman’s home after revealing his religious identity. Although it is not clear where and when the video was shot, the incident shows the Islamophobic mindset of those wedded to the right-wing ideology.
The video shows the woman asking the technician his name, and once she found out her Muslim identity, she ordered him to leave her house immediately. “We will not let you work here,” she is heard in the video as saying, and also threatening to unleash her dog on him if he doesn’t leave.
“We will report this at your office to have this done by a Hindu. Isn’t that what you said?” the technician is heard asking the woman in the video, attempting to expose the incident.
In the video, as the worker began recording the incident, the woman threatened him, saying, “Leave from here. Don’t make the video. If you do, you will face consequences.”
The technician says that he came to work despite the awful heat and had to face abuse. “Someone has come to work in this heat and gets asked about his religion. This is the condition,” he laments.
“She asked my name and religion, and then told me, ‘We would not work with you.’ She accused Muslims of causing trouble in Hindustan,” the survivor testified.
The incident happened days after Devmani Sharma, the New Delhi District Co-Convenor of the BJP, refused service from two Urban Clap Muslim AC technicians, citing last month’s Pahalgam attack in South Kashmir.
Sharma allegedly told the two servicemen to leave, stating he doesn’t want Muslims working for him and insisting on Hindu replacements. The video of the incident triggered widespread outrage on social media, drawing criticism for promoting communal intolerance.
The attack in Pahalgam has led to a surge in discrimination and hate crimes against Muslims in various parts of the country. In the aftermath of the attack, several incidents of violence and intimidation have been reported, targeting innocent Muslims who have no connection to the terrorists or the attack. These incidents are a stark reminder of the dangers of communal polarisation and the need for promoting interfaith harmony and understanding.
After the Pahalgam attack, the Association for the Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) has registered over 184 anti-Muslim hate crimes across the country, including intimidation, physical assault and vandalising Muslim shops.
The rise in hate crimes and discrimination against Muslims is a concerning trend that needs to be addressed through sustained efforts to promote tolerance, understanding, and respect for diversity. By fostering a culture of inclusivity and empathy, we can work towards creating a society where all individuals, regardless of their faith or background, feel safe and valued.
