New Delhi, April 05, 2023 (PPI-OT):A large number of activists of Hindutva organization Bajrang Dal disrupted Taraweeh prayers at a private house in Haldwani district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The attackers beat up some worshippers including the imam. Umair, a resident of Haldwani, told the media that Bajrang Dal members disrupted the Taraweeh prayer that was being offered for over a decade in the house. He said that the basement of the house was developed as mosque to accommodate the Muslims in the area. He also substantiated the account of several others that the imam and some worshippers were beaten up by the mob.

Following the disruption of the prayers, Muslims from the locality held a protest demonstration demanding immediate and strict action against the perpetrators. Indian media also reported that the imam was slapped and pushed around in front of the magistrate. This angered the local Muslims who blocked the Nainital Highway. An FIR has been lodged at Kotwali Police Station in Haldwani against forty persons. Meanwhile, the police have sealed the house belonging to Advocate Zafar Siddiqui where Taraweeh was being offered for over a decade.

Some members of the Muslim community told the media that they were manhandled and beaten up. At a protest in front of Kotwali police station in the city, they also demanded immediate action against the culprits. “They barged into the house and beat up the imam and others. After that, the police came and pushed us back…We want legal action against them. We don’t want to take the law into our hands. We have faith in the law and the constitution,” said a worshiper.

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