Bengaluru, In a distressing incident in Gangavathi city, Karnataka, a blind Muslim man named Husain Saab was attacked by members of Hindutva groups for refusing to chant the Hindu religious slogan “Jai Shri Ram.”

According to Kashmir Media Service, the assault took place when Husain Saab was returning to Gangavathi from Hospet village, where he had gone to collect funds for his daily needs from a local mosque. Opting to walk back after finding the auto fare too expensive, he was accosted by two scooter-borne assailants who forcibly took him to an isolated area in Siddikere.

The attackers brutally assaulted Saab, dragging him by his legs, which resulted in severe back injuries. They attempted to cut his beard with a broken glass bottle and, failing that, burnt it with a matchstick. Throughout the assault, Saab was subjected to Islamophobic slurs and comments. He described the harrowing experience to the media, recounting the physical and verbal abuse he endured.

The assault continued until the arrival of some nearby migrants, who were alerted by the noise and came to Saab’s aid. The attackers fled the scene, threatening Saab to appear at a local college with a clean-shaven face.

Saab was eventually taken to a shelter by the rescuers, who also helped him contact his daughter. Fearing further trouble, his daughter decided against filing a police case.

The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) officials, upon learning of the incident from the auto driver who later transported Saab, admitted him to a hospital for treatment of injuries sustained during the attack, including breathing difficulties from chest beatings. The SDPI attempted to file an FIR at the Gangavathi Town police station, but the police have yet to file the FIR in this case.

The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of minorities and the increasing frequency of hate crimes in the region.