New Delhi: An undated, yet, troubling video of a group of Muslim pilgrims returning from Umrah being humiliated and coerced into performing reverential acts at a Hanuman Temple in Delhi's Yamuna Bazaar, has been doing the rounds on the internet.
The widely circulated clip, which raised concerns over the rising communal tensions in the national capital, shows the elderly Muslim men being stripped of their caps, forced to bow at the temple and made to chant religious slogans like "Jai Shree Ram".
Have a look at the video here:
Pilgrims Forced To Remove Skull Caps, Bow Down
In the video, local men confronted the Umrah returning group, as they stepped off a minibus for a meal near the temple. Among the men, one identified as Siddharth Sharma, is seen in an apparently inebriated state, as per a report by Zee Salaam TV. He can be heard accusing the pilgrims of urinating nearby and hurling derogatory and Islamophobic slurs at them.
The video then shows Sharma and others removing the pilgrims’ caps and escorting them into the temple premises, chanting “Jai Shri Ram” while making them bow in reverence.
Sharma’s claims stem from allegations that the pilgrims had urinated in the area. However, these are unverified and appear to be contested by the victims. The group of men is also heard saying “Don’t let these Muslims touch our temple,” and ordering the pilgrims to remove footwear and perform a full prostration on the temple floor. At one point, an elderly pilgrim says he will involve the police, while another clarifies they were travelling from Arab, not Saharanpur as claimed.
Apology Video Released
Shortly after the video went viral, a second video surfaced, purportedly featuring Sharma offering an apology to his “Muslim brothers.” In the clip, he says, “The incident which took place outside the temple 10-12 days ago, I want to apologise to my Muslim brothers for that. If any Muslim brother was offended by my actions or if my actions offended them, I apologise for that as well. Sorry.”
Have a look at his statement here:
The incident comes at a tense time in Delhi, following other reports of Islamophobic behaviour. According to a report by Zee Salaam TV, in Delhi's Sagarpur area, a Muslim shopkeeper faced threats for putting his name on the shop display board, and another Muslim couple were reportedly evicted over their caste.
Human rights groups have condemned these actions across the capital and urged law enforcement to act immediately. The video footage has already been reportedly brought to the attention of Delhi Police. However, at the time of writing this report, a case has not been registered on the same by the police.
