Gonda, Uttar Pradesh: A video has surfaced from a village in Uttar Pradesh that shows locals abusing and harassing three Muslim fakirs (religious men) who were begging for alms. The video which has been widely circulated comes amid massive international backlash over Prophet's remarks by suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma.
The police have said that one of the perpetrators has been arrested.
As per reports, the cellphone video, shot in the Degur village of the Gonda area, shows the three mendicants being chased by boys, who shout out abuses linked to religion. Some call out "beat them".
Another one can be heard saying that these men wear the garments of sadhus, but they will eat biriyani with this money.
Then a youth armed with a big stick surrounded them and demanded their identity cards. Hearing that they had none, he can be heard calling them "jihadis" and "terrorists".
"Just show us your Aadhaar, or we will thrash the stuffing out of you," he is heard saying. He asks them their names and where they come from and repeatedly questions why they weren't carrying Aadhaar. "All of you are terrorists... Carry your Aadhaar at all times," he is heard saying.
A man who tries to intervene and calm him down is pushed away.
The video comes amid the huge international backlash over the now suspended BJP national spokesperson Nupur Sharma's derogatory comments on the Prophet during a television debate.
While around 15 Islamic nations, many of them from the Gulf, condemned the remarks, the BJP is facing opposition fire at home.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said the BJP took action against Nupur Sharma only when "something happened in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain".