VHP and Bajrang Dal members accuse the Muslim doctor of celebrating the terror attack, but AIIMS administration finds no evidence; tensions grow amid rising communal targeting
Mohammad bin Ismail and Raihan Shahid | Clarion India
NEW DELHI/DEHRADUN — A Muslim doctor working at AIIMS Rishikesh has become the latest target of Hindu groups following the terror attack in Pahalgam last month. Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal accused the doctor of distributing sweets after the attack, a claim that AIIMS authorities later said was not supported by any evidence.
This is the fourth such case where individuals from the Muslim community — be it a police officer, lawyer, or politician — have faced threats or been publicly named without proof, following the April 22 attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
The tension flared again on Monday (May 5) when VHP and Bajrang Dal activists tried to storm the AIIMS Rishikesh campus, demanding the Muslim doctor’s dismissal. The protest caused panic among patients and disrupted hospital operations for some time.
AIIMS Public Relations Officer, Sandeep Kumar, told reporters, “The police are investigating the case, but as of now, the internal inquiry by AIIMS has not found any evidence to support the claims against the doctor.”
Despite this, Hindu group leaders continued to demand the doctor’s removal, alleging that he had an “anti-national mindset”.
Naresh Uniyal, a local Bajrang Dal leader, said, “This country has no place for anyone who supports terrorism, directly or indirectly. We demand that this doctor be dismissed immediately. If our demands are not met, we will launch a big movement.”
Muslim leaders and civil society members have raised concerns over the growing trend of targeting Muslims without evidence, especially following any incident of terrorism.
Dr Aslam Qureshi, a senior physician based in Delhi and spokesperson for the Indian Muslim Medical Association, condemned the harassment of the Rishikesh doctor. “This is an attempt to communalise a national tragedy. No doctor in AIIMS would celebrate an act of terror. These false claims are hurting our democracy and our healthcare system,” he said.
He added, “Doctors are trained to save lives, not promote hatred. It is painful to see a respected doctor being humiliated based on rumours.”
As VHP and Bajrang Dal workers raised slogans and tried to force their way into the hospital premises, local police intervened and stopped them at the main gate, preventing further disturbance. Still, the protestors continued shouting outside, demanding action against the doctor.
The Hindu groups alleged that AIIMS administration was ignoring their concerns and warned of a larger protest if their demands were not met. Rajendra Prasad Pandey, another VHP leader, said, “We met the AIIMS officials earlier. We told them what happened. But no action has been taken. This is a betrayal. We will not back down.”
However, sources within the hospital and local administration maintain that no staff member, including the accused doctor, was found to have done anything suspicious on the day of the attack.
Maulana Irshad Qasmi, a scholar based in Haridwar, urged the authorities to act against those spreading communal hate. “If the doctor is innocent, then this is a criminal act to damage his name. We cannot allow India to become a country where Muslims are punished without proof,” he told Clarion India.
He also appealed to the media not to make this a Hindu-Muslim issue. “Let the law take its due course. Don’t give space to people who want to divide us,” he said.
Sources inside AIIMS Rishikesh said that many of the victim doctor’s colleagues stood by him during the protest. “We work as a team. He is a good man and a caring doctor. None of us saw anything like what is being said by these groups,” a nurse working in the hospital’s emergency department said on condition of anonymity.
Another junior doctor said, “We were shocked to hear the news. How can someone spread such lies? This is not about one doctor; it is about all of us being unsafe if hatred is allowed to grow.”
As of Monday night, no FIR (First Information Report) had been filed against the doctor, as police continue to look into the incident. A senior officer in the Rishikesh police said, “We are looking into both sides. We have asked the hospital to share any CCTV footage or staff testimonies. So far, we have not found any reason to proceed against the doctor.”
Across the state and online, many Muslims expressed fear over rising communal targeting. Social media was flooded with messages calling for unity, justice, and restraint.
Shabana Siddiqui, a student leader from Dehradun, said: “First it was a Muslim policeman, then a Muslim lawyer, then a Muslim politician, and now a Muslim doctor. When will it stop? We are Indians too. Why do we have to prove our loyalty again and again?”
She added, ‘If tomorrow someone makes up a story about me, will I be forced out of my university? Is this the India we grew up in?”
Interestingly, no major political leader from the ruling party made any statement either condemning the hate speech or supporting the AIIMS doctor. Opposition parties, however, accused the ruling government of creating an atmosphere of fear and hate.
Zafar Alam, a Congress leader from Uttarakhand, said, “The government should have spoken out in favour of the truth. Instead, they are silent. This silence is support for the hate.”
He added, “AIIMS is a respected institution. It should not be dragged into street politics. And doctors should not be punished for their religion.”
This incident adds to a worrying trend seen in recent years, where Hindutva groups have taken the law into their own hands, often with little or no consequence.
Civil rights groups have pointed out that targeting professionals like doctors and lawyers based on religion threatens the foundation of India’s plural democracy.
Advocate Farah Naaz, a human rights lawyer, said, “When mob pressure is used to threaten people’s careers and reputations, it is no longer about patriotism. It is harassment, and it is illegal.”
While AIIMS Rishikesh stands by its internal investigation, the fate of the Muslim doctor hangs in the balance as VHP and Bajrang Dal plan more protests. The silence from many national leaders is troubling, and many worry this is part of a larger pattern of religious targeting in the country.
For now, the AIIMS doctor remains at his post. But the fear, pain, and humiliation caused by unproven allegations remain with him, and with many other Indian Muslims.
As one of his colleagues said plainly: “We just want peace. Let us do our job.”
