New Delhi: Two women were filmed spray-painting a communal and exclusionary message on a crash barrier along the Delhi-Dehradun National Highway in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, triggering an FIR and widespread condemnation on social media.
The women, reportedly affiliated with the Right-wing group Hindu Raksha Dal, were filmed using spray paint to write, “Musalmaan ke liye road nahi hai (This road is not for Muslims)”, in both Hindi and English, on infrastructure lining the highway near the Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand border. One of the women wore a saffron scarf.
In the now-viral 17-second video, two women can be heard chanting “Jai Shri Ram” after spraying the paint on public infrastructure near the Saharanpur district border.
Another inflammatory message read: “This road won’t allow Muslims.”
Pinki Chaudhary, the leader of the Ghaziabad-based outfit Hindu Raksha Dal, claimed responsibility for the act in a social media post. He has previously been linked to controversies, including the distribution of swords and alleged anti-Muslim campaigns.
“Hindu Raksha Dal workers have rightly painted on the National Highway because roads are built solely from the taxes of all Hindus. Hindus are the only ones paying taxes in India… when they don’t pay taxes, have no right to drive on the National Highway! Muslims will not be allowed to drive on the National Highway!” Chaudhary wrote in an Islamophobic, expletive-ridden post.
As the video initially circulated claiming the incident’s location was Ghaziabad, the city police commissionerate denied that any such incident had taken place within its jurisdiction.
“This post, which affects religious harmony, is misleading. No such incident has occurred within the jurisdiction of the Ghaziabad Police Commissionerate. Please do not share posts on social media that affect religious harmony without verification. Do not spread rumors, otherwise legal action will be taken,” the Commissionerate posted on X.
Authorities removed the communal comments from the barrier and an investigation is ongoing.
“An FIR against unknown persons has been registered,” said an official from Biharigarh Police Station in Behat, Saharanpur.
Speaking on the matter, Mahendra Bhatt, the Uttarakhand BJP state president, said he does not support such incidents and that such acts are carried out to create tension between Hindus and Muslims.
“Those who try to create divisions between Hindus and Muslims are conspirators who want to destroy the spirit of unity,” he said in an interview with BBC. He added that he was disappointed by the incident and that further action would be taken against those responsible.
Sharing the video and calling for action in defence of constitutional equality, Syed Naseer Hussain, MP and member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), wrote on X, “This is a direct assault on the constitutional promise of equality and fraternity. The continued inaction and protective silence of the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh raise serious concerns about the message being conveyed to those who seek to divide society along communal lines.”
“The state must act decisively to protect the rights of every citizen and uphold the fundamental values of justice and equality, irrespective of religion,” he added.