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“People from your religion are killing people from my religion, you people are murderers.”
This is what a Kolkata gynecologist Dr Champakali Sarkar said to a pregnant Muslim patient as she refused to attend to her on Thursday, 24 April. This incident has come in the wake of the ghastly Pahalgam terror attack which left 25 Hindu tourists and one local Muslim dead.
The Quint found more such grave communal incidents that have taken place since the day of the tragedy. Yesterday, we covered how anti-Muslim hate speech and calls for violence have proliferated post the terrorist attack.
However, going beyond the online world, more cases of communally-motivated physical and verbal attacks have started taking place in real-time in several cities.
Among them is the case of S*. (*Name hidden to protect identity)
Twenty-seven year old S* is going through her second pregnancy. When S* went for her visit to Drarkarshe never expected to be subjected to such communal and hurtful remarks. S* has been going for a monthly check-up to the doctor since the past 7 months.
Referring to the Pahalgam terror attack, Dr Sarkar told S* in her chamber: “Your husband should be killed by Hindus so you can feel the pain that Hindus went through. You should only go to Madrassas and Masjids for your treatment where Muslims are taught to become terrorists.”
‘Don’t Come Back, You’re All The Same’: Kolkata Doctor
When S* came back home and processed what had happened, she gathered the courage to call the doctor to confront her. S* told the doctor that she felt hurt and insulted by her behaviour, but the doctor stood by what she had said and in fact, reiterated:
“I don’t want to treat people who kill others. People from your religion are killing people from my religion. I will not treat any Muslims.”
When S* asked how she can say these remarks given that she is a doctor, she was told, “don’t come back, you are all the same.” The Quint has accessed a video of the call recording as well.
Mehfuza, a lawyer and S’s relative speaking to The Quint said, “She is my sister-in-law and she is not in a good mental state since this happened. She is telling us not to go anywhere or do anything because we might be attacked.”
“She could have just refused the patient, what was the need to make such hateful and communal comments?” added Mehfuza.
A police complaint has been filed at Maheshtala Police Station where S’s husband has narrated the entire ordeal, accusing the doctor of defamation, communal hatred and professional misconduct.
The husband, in the complaint added that to save face, the doctor has accused them of not paying her, which prompted her to behave this way. But the family has countered stating that they have all the payment receipts as well.
Interestingly, the doctor also lives close to the family in Maheshtala. Mehfuza said a majority of the residents in the area are Muslims and never before had any such case occurred in their locality.
The Quint spoke to Dr Sarkar who has another story to tell. She claimed that S* had come to visit her at her residence.
I was talking to my maid about what had happened in Pahalgam when she visited me. I never made such communal remarks, why would I? I have many Mohammedan patients. I never told her I’ll not see Muslim patients. They’re bullying me now. I have also sent them apology from my end.
Dr CK Sarkar to The Quint
About the fee claim, she said that it was about another patient and not them.
When we asked her about the proof of the call recording, she replied, “No, that’s all fake, that’s not my call recording.” Dr Sarkar has also filed an FIR in the case.
A ‘Communal Lynching’ in Agra?
In a chilling incident from Tajganj, Agra, a self-proclaimed cow vigilante by the name of Manoj Chaudhary, posted a video stating that he has killed two Muslims and that he will take revenge for the 26 victims killed in Pahalgam.
Two ‘Ka***s’ have been killed in Agra. Chattri Gau Raksha takes responsibility for it. Swearing on India’s name, if we don’t take revenge of the 26 killings by killing 2,600 more, then I’m not India’s child. Jai Shri Ram. Jai Hindu Rashtra. Bharat Mata ki Jai.
Manoj Chaudhary in the video
One of the victims was Gulfam and social media posts claimed that the cow vigilantes confirmed his religious identity and then killed him.
However, the Agra police has refuted these claims. The police has posted a video statement by Saif Ali (eye-witness to the scene), saying that name or religion were not asked.
But in the vigilantes’ video, they seem to be admitting to the nature of the crime.
An Auto Company Employee Allegedly ‘Beaten Up Brutally’
A LinkedIn post by a platform user Ishan Saxena is also being widely circulated. In the post, he talks about his close Muslim friend who was allegedly thrashed in light of the Pahalgam terror attack and is now “battling for his life in an ICU in Bangalore.”
His Muslim friend works at a reputed vehicle manufacturing company was reportedly beaten up brutally in the office parking lot. On the request of the victim’s family, he has refused to disclose the names.
Saxena writes:
“His “crime”? He chose not to engage in a conversation about the recent Pahalgam issue during lunch with some local colleagues. He quietly refused to comment and excused himself from the discussion. Later, after his shift ended, the same individuals confronted him, demanded he recite the Gayatri Mantra, and when he didn’t, they attacked him mercilessly.”
Further, Saxena wrote, “This isn’t just about religion. This isn’t about politics. This is about humanity — and how terrifyingly far we’re drifting from it. Our collective anger against terrorism cannot be misdirected toward innocent citizens who simply belong to a different faith.”
Muslim Workers ‘Removed from Work’ at Hathras Temple
The Pahalgam terror attack has also led to an alteraction in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. Some Hindus verbally assaulted Muslims painters at Shri Balkeshwar Mahadev temple and ordered them to stop working in the temple premises immediately.
As per the video below, a local Muslim worker Shahid was told:
“Hindus were identified and killed in Pahalgam so now we are removing you from this job…Islam is targeting our Hindu Sanatan and killing Hindus.” When Shahid countered and said that terrorism has no religion, the Hindu guy retorted, “How? Then why are all terrorists Muslim? Which Hindu has done terrorism?”
As per this dainik bhaskar reportthis was done by a Hindutva outfit.
Muslims Assaulted in Haryana’s Ambala
An incident of Muslims being assaulted have come up from Ambala in Haryana.
In the incident, as can be seen in videos online, a mob vandalised several shops and carts belonging to Muslims in Ambala on 23 April. The attack took place after a protest rally took place in response to the killing of the tourists in Pahalgam.
Slogans included abusive lines like, “M** ch** do Mullo ki,” and “Tel lagalo Dabur ka, naam mitado Babur ka,” were purportedly raised.
Moreover, another incident surfaced from Haryanawherein a Muslim man was kicked, slapped and beaten and was told to leave the village. However, what led to the Hindu men to beat the Muslim man and which district this is from, has not been confirmed yet.
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