Beef Pamphlets and Vulgar Comments on Hindu Deities [Bharuch, Gujarat]

(Reported as seen)

A Muslim man named Abdul Aziz Ahmed Patel Mufti was arrested by Bharuch taluka police for publishing pamphlets justifying cow slaughter and beef consumption by misinterpreting Hindu theological verses. Additionally, three other Muslim youths were arrested in the area for making vulgar comments on Hindu deities.

The incident came to light when a Hindu man found an 18-page pamphlet on the road in Kantharia village. The pamphlet contained misleading and offensive interpretations of Hindu scriptures, including the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Manusmriti, Upanishads, and Puranas, to justify cow slaughter and beef consumption. Titled ‘Vegetarianism in terms of religion and nature,’ the pamphlet aimed to mislead people and hurt Hindu sentiments by promoting practices against Hindu beliefs.

Upon receiving the complaint, the Bharuch taluka police launched an investigation and traced the pamphlet to Abdul Aziz Ahmed Patel Mufti, who resides in Tipu Sultan Colony in Kantharia. Abdul was arrested promptly for his actions, which were seen as an attempt to incite communal disharmony and insult religious sentiments.

In a separate incident, Bharuch police arrested three individuals, Mohammad Waheed Sajid Hussain, Mohammad Hasan Sulehbaba Sheikh, and Mirza Mohammad Sani Mohammad Yusuf Sheikh, for making vulgar comments about Hindu deities on a social media platform. The offensive remarks came to light after screenshots of their chat went viral, prompting a Hindu man to report the incident to the Bharuch Cyber Crime Police Station.

Using technical surveillance, the police identified and arrested the three accused, taking further action to address the communal tension caused by their comments.

These arrests follow another recent incident in Bharuch where a leaflet from the Islamic organization Darul Uloom Barakat Khawaja went viral during Eid. The leaflet mentioned cow slaughter along with other animals, sparking outrage among the Hindu community. The responsible cleric was also arrested in connection with that incident.

The arrests have been met with approval from the Hindu community, who see these actions as necessary to maintain communal harmony and respect for religious sentiments. The Bharuch taluka police have emphasized their commitment to taking swift action against any attempts to incite communal disharmony or offend religious beliefs.

The incidents highlight the ongoing tension between communities and the importance of respecting religious sentiments to maintain peace and harmony in the region.