Bajrang Dal members allegedly stopped a Muslim man for a “bag search” in Maharashtra, with the man refusing to surrender to the bullying and instead saying that the mob has no legal powers to force such a check.
A purported video of the incident emerged on Friday, February 6. It shows the Muslim man, Razik Qureshi, surrounded by a group of men, some on bikes and others on foot.
Qureshi, wearing a cloth over his head, could be seen visibly riled up and verbally fighting off the mob by questioning their authority to conduct a check.
“Don’t teach me the law. Don’t tell me what is in my bag,” he said. “You can stop me, stop me if you have the authority. But have the police given you the power to catch me?”
Continuing to speak in a raised voice, he tells them that he is ready to face punishment only if the police identify him as a culprit.
“Mera Rasta aana jaana ka yaha hai. Tum chahe toh police ke 10 jane ko khada karo waha. Agar se woh kahe me gunegar ho, mein saza bukatne ke tayaar hu. Lekin tum mat roko mereku. (I use this route to come and go. You can post even 10 policemen there if you want. If they say I’m guilty, I’m ready to face the punishment. But you don’t stop me).”
Repeatedly accusing them of vigilantism, Qureshi tells them they have no power to check his bag or question his identity. The mob, however, can be heard replying, “We asked you to show your bag, but you did not.”
Not ready to give up, Qureshi said, “First thing, don’t tell me what is in my bag. Nobody can tell me anything. Who are you to tell me there is something in my bag?”
The incident comes amid heightened vigilante activity by right-wing groups across India, with Hindutva mobs randomly stopping members of minority communities on the streets, questioning their citizenship and assaulting them for belonging to another religion.
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