NEW DELHI: In a disturbing incident, Hindutva goons subjected a 55-year-old sanitation worker to coercion and physical assault for faltering to chant Hindu slogans in Delhi’s Karol Bagh.
The harrowing ordeal began when the sanitation worker, on his way to work, found himself encircled by some Hindutva men who demanded that he chant religious slogans. Under duress and fearing for his safety, the Dalit worker reluctantly uttered “Ram Ram,” only to face further demands to recite “Jai Shri Ram” and other Hindu slogans. When he faltered, the assailants resorted to physical violence, leaving the victim severely injured and traumatised.
Reacting to the shocking incident, Himanshu Valmiki, district coordinator of Bhim Army (a Dalit rights organization) in Delhi, decried the attack as an appalling display of caste discrimination and religious intolerance. “This is religiously motivated violence, which speaks of caste discrimination,” Valmiki asserted, condemning the perpetrators for their heinous actions.
Describing the victim’s condition as critical due to underlying health issues, Valmiki revealed that the victim was promptly transferred to a nearby health facility for urgent medical attention.
The distressing episode gained traction on social media after Valmiki shared the incident on X platform, accompanied by a video capturing the victim’s anguish. In the video, the victim tearfully narrates the ordeal, lamenting the derogatory remarks hurled at him during the assault.
Notably, since Modi’s rise to power in India, there has been alarming rise in systemic injustices faced by marginalised communities. Incidents of this nature are often perpetrated by Hindu extremist groups affiliated with Sangh Parivar.
