Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand – An elderly Muslim man, Rizwan, was brutally assaulted on Independence Day by three inebriated men who forced him to chant “Jai Shri Ram” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai”, and threatened to cut off his beard. A viral video shows Rizwan being slapped, abused, and humiliated by the attackers, identified as Mukesh Bhatt, Manish Bisht, and Naveen Bhandari. One of them declared, “It’s the rule of Hindus here, say Jai Shri Ram,” while another issued a chilling beheading threat. According to SSP Lokeshwar Singh, all four, including the victim, are contract laborers with Indian Railways. Police have arrested the three accused and registered a case of criminal intimidation. The incident has sparked nationwide outrage, with community leaders demanding stricter charges and civil society condemning the rising instances of communal violence.
