Muslims are particularly upset by the administration’s focus on religious places, specifically the Jama Masjid in Rajnagar and a cemetery in Bijaynagar.
Team Clarion
BIJAYANAGAR – The aftermath of the infamous blackmail case in Bijaynagar, Rajasthan, has sparked a wave of anger and fear among the local Muslim community, which claim they are being unjustly targeted by the municipal administration.
Reports indicate that the authorities are using legal means to harass the community, including sending officials with bulldozers to inspect the validity of religious sites, which many see as an act of intimidation.
The case pertains to alleged blackmail and sexual exploitation of minor girls by some Muslim youths at Bijayanagar in Beawar district, which has created communal tension and sparked unrest, promoting bandh calls and protest marches in several towns in the region during the last two weeks. The police have so far arrested 10 persons and detained three minors.
Muslim residents are particularly upset by the administration’s focus on religious properties, specifically the Jama Masjid in Rajnagar and a cemetery in Bijaynagar. Both sites are Waqf properties, but despite their legal status, the municipal authorities have issued notices and sealed them off without any apparent justification.
In response, members of the community have submitted a formal memorandum to District Collector Dr Mahendra Khadgawat, demanding an end to what they describe as discriminatory actions. “The municipal administration is not just targeting the criminals involved in the blackmail case but is instead punishing the entire Muslim community,” one of the petitioners stated. “This is an act of collective punishment against us.”
The memorandum expressed concerns over the growing atmosphere of fear within the Muslim community, with reports of officials threatening to demolish religious structures. “Every day, officials show up with bulldozers, forcing us to prove the legitimacy of our places of worship and graveyards,” another member of the community said. “We fear that our religious institutions will be destroyed without reason.”
Others voiced similar concerns, urging the authorities to reconsider their actions. “We are living in constant fear,” said one resident. “They are sending bulldozers to our mosques and cemeteries like it’s some sort of punishment for a crime we didn’t commit. How can they target our places of worship just because of a few criminals? This is not justice.”
A young Muslim man from the area said, “I don’t even feel safe to pray at my mosque anymore. They come with bulldozers every day. I fear that one day they will tear it down. My only crime is being a Muslim in this place.”
Muslim leaders have made it clear that if the municipality does not halt these actions, they will be forced to take to the streets in protest to defend their sacred sites. “We will not stand idly by as our religious rights are trampled,” they warned.
“Why are we being made to suffer for the actions of a few criminals?” another community member questioned. “Our religion teaches us peace, and we have nothing to do with the blackmailing case. We demand the authorities stop harassing innocent Muslims.”
The community is also calling for legal action against the individuals involved in the blackmailing case, distancing themselves from the criminals. “We want justice, not collective punishment,” they emphasised.
