A 64-year-old Muslim cab driver was reportedly harassed by a group of young men near the Taj Mahal parking area in Agra, who are said to have forced him to chant “Jai Shri Ram.”
The incident is believed to have taken place during a period of heightened communal tension, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ayodhya to hoist a saffron flag at the Ram Temple.
A video of the episode, which circulated widely on social media, appears to show the driver, identified as Mohammad, visibly upset as the men repeatedly urge him to say the slogan. When he refuses, the person recording the video, identified as Rohit, can be heard warning “You will say Jai Shri Ram in two or three days”.
Rais depends on ferrying tourists to the Taj Mahal for his income, Maktoob Media reported.
The footage prompted strong reactions online, with many observers describing it as a troubling instance of Islamophobic harassment.
Social media users drew attention to how the incident reflected the precarious situation of older Muslim workers in major tourist areas, suggesting that it fit into a broader trend of people being pressured to repeat religious slogans. Many of them reportedly called for swift police action against those seen intimidating Rais.
Agra Police stated that they took note of the video after a local journalist flagged it. According to officials, both the Tajganj police station and the Cyber Cell were instructed to look into the matter and take whatever action might be required. No arrests have been reported so far, though the inquiry is said to be continuing.
Observers pointed out that this episode appeared to mirror a wider pattern of Islamophobic harassment in the country, where Muslims are compelled to chant “Jai Shri Ram.”
Although the phrase is traditionally understood as a devotional Hindu chant, commentators have indicated that it has, in some instances, been used as a means of intimidation or humiliation, particularly in cases involving anti-Muslim sentiment.
Human rights organisations and researchers have also remarked that such forced sloganeering often operates as a kind of “loyalty test,” disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups such as elderly workers, daily wage earners, and street vendors.