Viral video shows chief of Bhanwapur block in UP’s Siddharthnagar, Lavkush Ojha, making the threat; Muslim representatives and activists demand urgent investigation and accountability
NEW DELHI — A video shared widely on social media has prompted alarm in Siddharthnagar district in eastern Uttar Pradesh after a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was shown making an explicit threat against the Muslim community.
The recording, which appears to have been shot at a public fruit eating programme at Nagar Panchayat Bharatbhari on Tuesday, shows Lavkush Ojha — identified as the Bhanwapur block chief under Dumariaganj tehsil — issuing a violent warning. In the clip Ojha is heard saying: “The honourable MLA has issued a warning, butchers, listen carefully. If you don’t stop cow slaughter in Dumariyaganj, then the Muslims of Dumariyaganj will be slaughtered like carrots and radishes. This work will be done by Bharatiya Janata Party workers.” The video later carries the threat further: “Even after such a warning, if anyone still thinks of cow slaughter, or even if it comes to their mind, they will be slaughtered like carrots and radishes.”
Residents at the event told reporters that several BJP figures present appeared uneasy on hearing the remarks. The clip was recorded by someone at the gathering and then circulated online, drawing rapid attention and condemnation from local community leaders and human rights activists.
Uttar Pradesh has long enforced strict legal protections around cattle. The Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955, prohibits slaughter of cows and the sale or transport of beef in many circumstances; the law is regularly cited in disputes and has been part of state efforts to curb cattle smuggling and illegal slaughter. Those laws and the policing that accompanies them have, at times, fuelled communal tensions when individuals or groups are accused of violating rules.
Rights groups and journalists have documented a series of incidents across the state in which accusations of cattle related offences have preceded mob violence and attacks on Muslim citizens and traders. Authorities in Uttar Pradesh have also been active in registering large number of cases and making arrests related to alleged cow slaughter and cattle smuggling in recent months. That intensified enforcement has not always prevented communal flare ups, local activists say. Muslim residents in the area said they are unnerved by the tone of the speech and fear that such words, when voiced by a public representative, normalise threats against a vulnerable community.
A local shopkeeper, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, told Clarion India: “We are worried. People who sell meat or keep cattle worry for their lives. When a leader says this from a stage, it makes us afraid to go about our work.”
Imam and community organiser Maulana Yusuf (name changed on request) said: “This is not a private matter — it is a direct call to violence. We demand that the police register a case and ensure our safety. No one should live in fear for their life or livelihood.”
Several Muslim families said they have already begun to take simple precautions: avoiding late travel, staying in touch with relatives about movements and checking whether local police can increase patrols near markets.
Local activists and opposition figures called for a formal inquiry and legal action. “Threatening a community is a crime. Authorities must act quickly and impartially,” said one rights activist in Siddharthnagar.
The video itself has been shared on multiple platforms and, as with many clips of this kind, has prompted debate online about how such words should be treated — whether as a criminal offence, political rhetoric, or a provocation intended to inflame communal sentiment.
At the time of writing, there has been no verifiable, public statement from Ojha confirming or retracting the remarks in the clip. Local residents and community leaders say they will press for a police investigation and for the district administration to offer protection to threatened families.
Legal experts say the language used in the recording, if authenticated, could amount to criminal intimidation and incitement to violence under Indian Penal Code. They add that public threats made by those in positions of influence are taken especially seriously because of their potential to provoke collective action.
Civil society groups are urging the local police to register an FIR and to investigate whether the speech amounts to an incitement to communal violence. They have also called on state and central leaders to condemn the remarks publicly and to make clear that threats against any community will not be tolerated.
Muslim community leaders, while strongly condemning the remarks, have appealed for calm.
“We are deeply disturbed by what we have seen and heard,” said a local community representative. “We will use legal means and peaceful protest to seek justice. We do not want any more bloodshed — we want protection, explanation and action.”
Several residents, meanwhile, felt relieved that the clip had become known widely: “The video going out means people are watching. We hope action will follow,” said one woman whose family runs a small butchery.
Observers note that incidents in which accusations about cow slaughter or cattle smuggling precede threats or violence are not isolated. Independent reporting in recent years has documented a string of such cases across several states, where suspicion has led to harassment or worse for Muslim traders and others who handle meat or cattle.
For now, Siddharthnagar residents are waiting to see whether authorities will register a formal case, whether the BJP will respond publicly to the recording, and whether assurances of safety will be provided to those who feel threatened.
Local activists and lawyers have suggested a short list of steps they say are needed to defuse the situation and to reassure frightened residents:
• A transparent police inquiry to verify the recording and the speaker’s identity.
• A formal FIR if the speech is judged to amount to criminal intimidation or incitement.
• Protective steps for individuals and families who say they feel at risk.
• A public statement from local political leaders and the party organisation disavowing violence and reassuring all communities of safety and the rule of law.
The video from Siddharthnagar has stirred fear and anger among residents and community leaders. It has also reopened wider questions about how cow related laws and public rhetoric interact with communal tensions on the ground. Citizens and rights groups have called for an impartial inquiry and immediate steps to ensure safety for the Muslim community.
