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“We had gone to a shop to buy some items. There was a boy there who told us to chant ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, ‘Jai Hind’, and ‘Jai Sita Ram’. We said that we could not say those slogans. Yes, we can say ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ and ‘Jai Bharat’. About an hour later, that boy came to my room and threatened me. The next day, those people caught me again and said, ‘You Bangladeshi ba****d, we will kill you.’ Then two men grabbed me by the collar and started beating me. Another man began hitting me from behind. They dragged me through the entire village for 2–3 kilometers while beating me. There was no one to save me. Blood was coming out of my nose and mouth. Finally, they took me near a Kali temple and said, ‘Come on, I’ll sacrifice you at the Kali temple.’”
The fire of violence against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh has now reached minority Muslims in India. In Madhubani, Bihar, some extremists brutally assaulted a labourer who is an Indian resident by calling him Bangladeshi. The labourer, Nurshed, was seriously injured in the attack.
In this case, the police have registered an FIR at Rajnagar police station based on the victim’s complaint; however, the attackers are still absconding.
A video related to the life-threatening attack on Nurshed Alam is also going viral on social media. In the video, the blood-soaked labourer Nurshed Alam can be seen lying on the ground amid a crowd. A young man is repeatedly punching Nurshed in the face, while people in the crowd are chanting “Bangladeshi, Bangladeshi.”
The Quint spoke to Nurshed’s cousin Naseem to learn more about the incident. He said that Nurshed sustained serious injuries and has been taken to Biratnagar, Nepal, for treatment. Naseem said:
This incident took place in Nandi Chakra village under the Rajnagar police station area of Madhubani district. The SHO of Rajnagar police station told The Quint that the people who assaulted Nurshed have been identified. The SHO said:
After the video of the incident went viral, Madhubani police issued a statement saying:
Statement by Madhubani Police
@madhubanipol/X
Meanwhile, Madhubani Superintendent of Police Yogendra Kumar has assured strict action in this matter. The SP said: “Raids and search operations are underway to arrest the two youths. Very soon, both will be arrested and sent to jail. And as for what is being said in the video that the victim is from Bangladesh, that is not true. He is basically a resident of Supaul.”
Two videos of the attack are going viral on social media. In one video, Nurshed—wearing a blue sweater and covered in blood—is surrounded by a crowd. Some people are asking for his Aadhaar card, while others are hurling obscene abuses. Some are calling him Bangladeshi, while others are claiming that there is a Pakistani number on Nurshed’s mobile phone.
In the second video, a man can be seen sitting on top of Nurshed and repeatedly striking him in the face with a mobile phone. Blood is flowing from Nurshed’s face. The attacker, wearing a black jacket, repeatedly says, “You people slaughter cows. You are katuas.” Nurshed can be heard pleading with folded hands, saying that he earns his living honestly and eats from his earnings. The man in the black jacket links the entire incident to Pakistan and Bangladesh. He then continues beating Nurshed and says, “Do you have a problem saying ‘Jai Bhavani’? Why didn’t you say ‘Jai Bhavani’?” In the video, Nurshed is seen with folded hands saying, “I will say whatever you tell me to say.”
However, none of the people present at the scene are seen trying to save Nurshed.
According to the victim’s nephew, Mahboob Alam, “So far, ₹20,000–25,000 has been spent on Nurshed’s treatment. The family does not have enough money to spend more on medical care. Tell us—who will pay this money? Nurshed had no enmity with the people who beat him. He didn’t even know them. Yet he was still assaulted.”