#UnitedAgainstHate: Hundreds Gather to Condemn Jharkhand Lynching

A man holds a candle to protest against the recent lynching of a 24-year-old in Jharkhand. 

(Photo: Mubeen Siddiqui)

Hundreds of people converged at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Wednesday, 26 June, to protest against the lynching of a youth in Jharkhand and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Raghubar Das over last week's incident.

Twenty-four-year-old Tabrez Ansari was allegedly tied to a pole and thrashed with sticks by a mob in Jharkhand's Seraikela Kharsawan district on the suspicion of stealing a motorcycle.

The newly-married man was purportedly seen in a video being forced to chant "Jai Shri Ram" and "Jai Hanuman."

A man holds up a placard at the protest against lynching in Jantar Mantar. 

A woman prepares a placard bearing the word ‘Fasivaad (Fascism)‘ at the Jantar Mantar protest on Wednesday, 26 June. 

Leading the protesters, former JNU student leader Umar Khalid said it was "shameful" that the Opposition took a week to speak about the heinous incident and called for a "Nirbhaya-like movement" to curb the lynchings.

“People need to come out on the streets... Political patronage is being given to the culprits... We are also angry at the Opposition. Where are they today?” Umar Khalid said.

The protesters carried placards, shouted slogans against the Modi government and demanded that Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das resign as chief minister.

Hundreds were present at the protest against lynchings at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday. 

CPI leader Kanhaiya Kumar pointed out that the government had been trying to win "sabka vishwas" (everyone's trust). "But will it able to earn the trust of those whose children, husband, and brothers have been killed?" he asked.

‘Don’t divide Hindustan,’ reads a placard held by a woman at the protest in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. 

‘Hinduism is against all forms of violence,’ reads a placard held up by a man at the Jantar Mantar protest on Wednesday. 

CPI(M) politburo member Kavita Krishnan cited a number of incidents where people were made to chant "Jai Shri Ram" forcibly. "Fringe groups have entered the Parliament too. When a Muslim MP came to take the oath, these people raised started chanting 'Jai Shri Ram'," she said

The protest at Jantar Mantar took place after a 24-year-old man was lynched in Jharkhand. 

The Jharkhand mob lynching victim was allegedly made to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and Jai Hanuman’ slogans. 

Many also took to social media to highlight the issue, with the Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi tweeting using ‘#IndiaAgainstLynchTerror’.

A man holds a candle to protest against the recent lynching of a 24-year-old in Jharkhand. 

Two men hold candles and a placard reading ‘Patience’ at the Jantar Mantar protest on Wednesday. 

(With inputs from PTI)