Author: Nikita Jain and Sumedha Pal

Jahangirpuri: Muslim Family Alleges Police Detained 3 Women, 2 Minors ‘Illegally’, Move HC

Five of a family were allegedly detained after two of them were picked up after sunset. One of them was four years old. Their lawyers have said several laws were flouted.

New Delhi: Five women, all Muslims, have alleged that they were picked up by Delhi Police and illegally kept in custody for 42 hours over what police claim is their connection with the communal violence that took place in the city’s Jahangirpuri area on April 16 this year.

On the day, a Ram Navami procession halted outside a mosque in the C Block area and provocative slogans were raised, reports have said. Amid tensions, violence was seen in the area.

In its charge sheet, Delhi police have identified three main conspirators and has accused them of instigating riots and inciting youth in the region. 

The Wire had earlier reported on locals’ allegations on Muslim residents being harassed repeatedly by police investigating the communal violence.

Some of the women The Wire spoke to then are among the five who have alleged that they were illegally picked up and kept in custody.

Jahangirpuri resident Bano* and her daughter had previously told The Wire that they had been receiving threats and were being asked to get the men in their family to surrender. Police, they had said, suspect that Bano’s son had a role in the violence.

Bano says that on July 17, once again, police came to their house. The visit was at around 9 pm.

“They knocked on our doors asking for the whereabouts of my son. When I told him that I didn’t know anything, he asked me and my daughter to go sit in the police van. There were no women police officers with him,” she said.

The mother and daughter were then taken to Jahangirpuri Police Station. Bano’s daughter Salma* is 17 years old. She says that she informed police that she was a minor but that they did not listen to her. 

When Salma’s aunt and two female cousins reached the station, they were also detained. One of her cousins is four years old. 

“The five of us were first asked to sit. Then they locked us in a room where we stayed for three days [around 42 hours over the course of three days],” Salma says.

The women managed to call their lawyer, who reached the police station. It was only after lawyers intervened that the women were released.

Among the five, only Bano had a phone with her, which she managed to pass to a tea seller whom the police officials had called on July 18. Her lawyers were called early on July 19 and reached the police station immediately. On reaching the police station, the lawyers were told that the women were locked up two nights ago, on July 17.

The women alleged they were verbally abused as well and that police had not allowed them to contact or meet with anyone.

The family, through their lawyer, has filed a petition in the Delhi high court against police, over this ‘illegal’ detentions in the investigation into the case.

“The case of the petitioners concern grave violations of their fundamental right to life and liberty as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. The Petitioners before the Hon’ble Court are all women who along with the two minor girls were subjected to illegal detention by the Jahangirpuri Police Station, New Delhi wherein they were kept in continuous Police detention/custody starting from 17.7.222 to 19.7.22,” read the petition.

Speaking to The Wire, Bano’s lawyer Kawalpreet Kaur said they have demanded that the women be compensated for the trouble they were put through.

“This is the case of illegal detention of more than 40 hours. There are various judgements by courts stating that people cannot be kept in illegal detention. There were also two minor girls who were in detention as well. Action must be taken against the police personnel who have done it,” she said.

Further stating that a proper procedure needs to be followed during an arrest, Kaur said, “So many laws were violated in this case. There were no female personnel present during the arrest. The women were arrested after 7 in the evening, which is not allowed. Minor girls were arrested and they were not even given a chair to sit in.”

The provisions of sub-section (4) of Section 46 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 mandates that if the Police want to arrest a woman after sunset, they have to seek prior permission of the Magistrate, and arrest should be made by a female police officer.

The matter will be heard in the high court next week.  

Jahangirpuri residents have also termed the probe as “one sided”, portraying the minorities as aggressors. National Security Act was invoked against five accused persons in connection with the case, among those arrested for the violence, majority of the accused were Muslims. 

The Wire tried to reach DCP North West Usha Rangnani for her response on these allegations, but calls and emails have not yet been answered. This story will be updated when a response is received.

*Names changed to protect identity

Muslim Men Leaving Jahangirpuri Out of Fear of Police Harassment, Say Locals

Since the communal violence and demolition drive in April, cops have allegedly been picking up Muslim men and threatening the women in their families.

Jahangirpuri (New Delhi): A number of Muslim residents of Jahangirpuri, which was witness to communal violence during a Hanuman Jayanti procession and a demolition drive afterwards, allege that they have had to face police harassment since the riots took place. 

Locals of the area where demolitions took place, C Block, say that young men are often hauled up by police. While some of them had been involved in petty crimes before – residents allege that police have been hauling them up in a manner not justifying the degree of their crimes.

As men of the allegedly area move out, primarily out of fear of police action, women have alleged that they are being harassed by the police too. Minors, too, are being picked up, say locals.

Jahangirpuri’s Bano* tells The Wire that her brother was detained on May 20. “He was having lunch when some police officials from Jahangirpuri police station picked him up and took him to the station without any explanation,” she says. The family claims that he was taken to the station over charges of theft. But in an order issued by the Rohini court on May 24, Bano’s brother is named in a case pertaining to the Hanuman Jayanti violence.

Bano says she lives in a state of constant fear and that even her daughter was allegedly threatened by police.

“My husband and sons have left the city in a bid to avoid wrongful incarcerations. They weren’t even here when the [Hanuman Jayanti] violence happened. But the police came knocking at our door, asking us to ‘surrender’ them. They threatened my young daughter and said that she will be ‘picked up’ if we do not tell them the whereabouts of my sons,” she says.

Bano* and her daughter. Photo: Sumedha Pal and Nikita Jain

“We all know that they are picking up Muslim men and putting their names in the case, alleging violence,” she adds.

Akhlaq* is a ragpicker living in Jahangirpuri. Three members of his family have been picked up from the C Block area since the violence. 

“Men are picked up almost every day. This has created a chaotic and fearful environment. Almost all of them are innocent. My worst fear is that these young kids, barely in their teens, are being taken into custody and being beaten up. Under the garb of smaller offences this atmosphere of a full blown crackdown is being created,” Akhlaq says.

“We are never fully free, we are constantly being watched and surveilled – from what we are eating and where we are going to the toilet, they are monitoring everything. We have become prisoners in our own homes,” he adds. 

A pattern

In the immediate aftermath of the violence, the National Security Act was invoked against five of the accused in the case. 

Lawyer Kawalpreet Kaur has been handling cases of some of the residents in the region.

“The detentions are in line with a recent trend displayed by Delhi Police. The victims of an attack – who are mostly from the Muslim minority community – are framed and charged as accused,” Kaur says.

She adds that this is a pattern that was seen in the arrests made in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots cases as well.

Jahangirpuri. Photo: Sumedha Pal and Nikita Jain

“Similarly, in Jahangirpuri the first batch of arrests had only Muslim names. This design is sinister. The ‘investigation’ in the cases is completely lopsided. Most people get bail after having spent a few months in jail. This must be called out. Only after Delhi Police was criticised for its one-sided investigation in Jahangirpuri did we see arrests being made among people of the Hindu community. However, this was after a whole day. And even then, those who incited the mob and their leaders weren’t arrested,” the lawyer says.

Jahangirpuri houses a significant number of people working in low-paying jobs, including daily wagers, auto drivers and factory workers. Residents pointed out how this crackdown has also been affecting their economic activities. 

“The fear is not of us landing up in jail, we know we haven’t done anything. The fear is of facing custodial violence and harassment,” a local, Ifran*, says. 

‘Made to pose with guns’

Danish*, a man in his 20s, says he was allegedly beaten up with a lathi by the police earlier this month. “My fault was that I intervened when a group of boys were fighting in my street,” he says. 

Danish* shows his injuries. Photo: Sumedha Pal and Nikita Jain

Showing CCTV camera footage of the brawl, he went on to allege that local conflicts are becoming a plank for the police to subject Muslim youth to harassment.

“I have CCTV footage where I can be seen breaking up the fight. Yet a policeman comes [in the video] and immediately beats me up and takes me to jail,” he says, adding that two other Muslim men were also allegedly beaten up.

“In front of me, there were at least six Hindu men who had been arrested but the police did not say anything to them. But they beat us up so much that I still cannot go to work,” he adds.

He further alleged that the police demanded Rs 50,000 from him and threatened to slap the National Security Act (NSA) against him if he did not pay the amount. “They forcefully gave me guns and took my photo, saying they [the guns] were mine. This is disgusting, whatever they are doing. They threatened me and beat me up. Am I a terrorist?” he asks. 

Danish was let off the same night after an agreement was reached with the police. 

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police on May 7 arrested three people from Jahangirpuri in connection with the April 16 violence.

Rekha, a Hindu resident of Jahangirpuri, who lives with her family in the area, also says that there is “an atmosphere of fear in the region.” 

“This has heightened since the demolition drive. I was told by some neighbours that they are leaving for their villages out of fear and that they will be back when the situation normalises,” she tells The Wire.

The Wire sought to reach DCP North West Usha Rangnani for her response on these allegations, however calls and emails have not yet been answered. This story will be updated when a response is received. 

A Rohini court had criticised the Delhi Police for its conduct on April 16, observing prima facie that police had “utterly failed” in stopping the Hanuman Jayanti procession for which no permission had been granted.

“It appears that local police instead of performing their duty in stopping the said illegal procession in the beginning itself and dispersing the crowd, was accompanying them to the entire route which later on led to unfortunate riots between the two communities,” the court had said.

*Names have been changed to protect the identities of residents.

Roorkee Mahapanchayat: ‘Why Didn’t Police Crack Down Earlier,’ Ask Residents

Dada Jalalpur residents were relieved about the security arrangements in view of the Hindu Mahapanchayat but said similar actions on April 16 could have prevented communal clashes.

Roorkee, Uttarakhand: After a warning from the Supreme Court, the local administration cracked down on the Hindu Mahapanchayat that was planned in the Dada Jalalpur village near Roorkee on April 27,  prompting several residents of the village to ask why similar arrangements could not have been made during violence reported a few days ago.

The Supreme Court ordered that no “untoward incident” should happen during the Mahapanchayat – referring to anti-Muslim speeches and calls to violence that were made at similar events in the past. The mahapanchayat in Dada Jalalpur village was called by Mahant Anand Swaroop, who asked for a “Hindu awakening” in the face of communal clashes.

On April 16, the Dada Jalalpur village of the Bhagvanpur region of Roorkee in Uttarakhand witnessed violence during a Shobha Yatra on Hanuman Jayanti. For ten days after the violence, hardline Hindu religious leaders relentlessly campaigned for the arrests of Muslim residents and an invocation of the stringent National Security Act against those who allegedly pelted stones at the procession. The mahapanchayat part of their efforts to pressure the administration.

However, taking cognisance of the Supreme Court’s directive on mahapanchyats, the Uttarkhand police imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) – which prevents more than four people from gathering – in Dada Jalalpur. Security within a five-kilometre stretch of the village was also tightened to ensure no congregation takes place.

The police also detained Swaroop’s disciple Dineshanand – also an organiser of the mahapanchayat – was taken into custody, along with six others, to ensure peace in the region. Dineshanand is the state convenor of the Kali Sena, a religious organisation.

Some of his followers told The Wire that they were disappointed over the decision, some were also restricted outside the village.

While residents that The Wire spoke to were relieved over the security arrangements, they also hoped that peace is restored in the region.

“We are glad [the mahapanchayat] has been cancelled,” Habib* a resident of Dada Jalalpur said.

Also Read: Where Does Hate Reside in the Human Brain?

Some Muslim residents praised the district administration’s decision to impose Section 144 but felt similar actions could have been taken on April 16 to prevent communal tensions.

“It was this easy! If the police had taken stern action on April 16, our kids wouldn’t have wound up in jail for ten days,” Irfana* told The Wire. Her son was detained and later released after ten days.

The police have stationed smaller teams of police members across the village, with many policing the streets and resting in the courtyards of locals. Reportedly, the heavy police presence and the imposition of Section 144 will continue until May 5.

Speaking to The Wire, the additional district magistrate (ADM) of Haridwar P.L. Shah said, “As you know some people gave a call for a dharma mahapanchayat in Dada Jalalpur. We immediately implemented Section 144 in this village and the neighbouring one. There is heavy police deployment to protect the people. Me and my colleagues, including two SDMs and the rest of the police force, are here. There is no possibility of a dharma mahapanchayat in the village. We have been on alert since Tuesday.”

However, the blatant anti-Muslim statements propagated by Anand Swaroop and Dineshanand are stoking fears among the residents.

Bano* is sitting outside her house with her two daughters. Since April 16, she has been hiding with her family in the nearby field. They are scared to stay in their home. “Ours is the last home of the village. When the procession was leaving, it attacked our house. We managed to save ourselves. Since then, we have been hiding in the nearby field, occasionally coming back to check our home,” she tells The Wire.

Bano and her family have been hiding in a field after the communal violence that was reported in Dada Jalalpur on APril 16, 2022. Photo: The Wire

Bano’s husband Rihad* is an e-rickshaw driver. His vehicle which was burnt by a mob early on April 17. “Our cattle were also not spared. Our cows were attacked on their udders. They cannot give milk anymore,” Bano added, as Rihad looked on.

The family said the attacks were targeted to ensure their sources of livelihood are destroyed.

“The police have provided us protection this time, but where were they the last time? It just pains us,” Bano said.

As a visible rift emerges within the communities on the ground, some residents reiterate the need for peace.

Anmol, who runs a local shop in the village, feared that the tradition of Hindus and Muslims exchanging sweets on the others’ festivals may soon be lost. With Eid around the corner, both the communities are yet to move past what happened on April 16. “Nobody wants violence. It is sad that our neighbours won’t see us in the same light. Because of a few boys, the whole village is tensed,” he added.

Many Hindus refused to speak to the media. Some were disappointed over the “targeted attempt to silence Hindus” while the others stated that the atmosphere in the village was tense.

Speaking to The Wire, 70-year-old Sushila said, “These kids [who are accused of violence] have all grown up in front of us. We do not support the way in which things are unfolding. If Hindus have done something wrong they should be punished. Similarly, if Muslims have pelted stones, they should be booked. However, our culture and peace need to be intact.”

*Names changed to protect identities.

Jahangirpuri Violence: 22 Arrested, Main Accused’s Birth Certificate Shows He’s 16

Alleging police brutality, the family of the main accused – who is being portrayed as 22 in the media – has said the minor was home when the incident took place.

New Delhi: The Delhi police have arrested 22 people in connection with the communal clash broke out in North Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area on the evening of Saturday, April 16, after a Hindutva procession allegedly attempted to wave a saffron flag in front of a local mosque. By Sunday evening, more Muslim youth in addition to the 14 named in the FIR had been picked up.

On the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti, a procession of Bajrang Dal members undertaking a Shobha Yatra reportedly reached the mosque in Jahangirpuri’s Block C at 5 pm, when the incident took place. Speaking to The Wire, resident of the area Salman Khan said, “The mob with members of the Bajrang Dal went outside the mosque and tried to wave the saffron flag there. They were also dancing to loud music.”

“The shopkeepers in the area tried to stop the mob,” Khan continued, “while a few women got involved and asked the mob to go away. This turned violent where a few people were injured.”

“But the Delhi police took the matter into their hands immediately and made the mob leave. The situation is peaceful at the moment,” he added. 

The incident reportedly involved stone-pelting from both sides and even gunshots fired from a country-made pistol. Some vehicles were reportedly set ablaze during the incident.

“Things escalated and both communities started pelting stones at each other. They damaged public property and torched some vehicles,” a senior police officer said.

According to a report by NDTV, nine people were injured during the scuffle, including eight police officers and one civilian. Sub-inspector Medhalal Meena, one of the officers injured, reportedly suffered a gunshot wound to his hand.

Ganesh, another local resident who was sitting with Khan said that the violence broke out primarily on the main road, where the procession was taking place. 

“There was a mob that tried to do something outside a mosque but the police stopped it immediately. The local shopkeeper outside the mosque tried to stop the mob, which turned into a clash. But that happened outside the road. The situation is peaceful now,” Ganesh said. 

Giving his initial impressions, Vipin L.C., a member of the Communist Part of India – Marxist (CPI-M), who is also part of a fact-finding team consisting of members of the CPI-M and civil society activists, told The Wire that the Shobha Yatra procession had began early on Saturday and had remained relatively peaceful.

However, according to L.C., who is also a resident of Jahangirpuri, the processions had already made two rounds around the mosque since the morning and the Muslims present took objection to the third such round of rallying in the evening.

“Amidst this, the residents told the procession not to pass in front of the mosque,” he said, adding that the group was, at this point, chanting communal slogans and hurling slurs at the Muslim community, which allegedly sparked off the violence.

The fact-finding team has, as yet, not put out a report or a press statement on the matter.

By early afternoon on Sunday, 14 people had been arrested and the police had said that additional suspects had been identified on the basis of CCTV footage and videos uploaded to social media. Towards the second half of the day, more Muslim youth were picked up by the police.

A first information report (FIR) has been lodged in the matter under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 147 and 148 (rioting and rioting armed with a deadly weapon); Section 149 (offences by an unlawful assembly in prosecution of a common goal); Section 186 (voluntarily obstructing a public servant in the discharge of their public functions); Section 353 (assaulting a public servant); Section 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant); Section 307 (attempt to murder) and more, as well as Section 27 of the Arms Act (punishment for using arms).

According to the FIR, the incident kicked off when Mohammed Aslam (the main accused) began arguing with the Hanuman Jayanti procession, after which stone-pelting, fighting and violence ensued. While it is being reported in the media that Aslam is 22 years of age, his birth certificate, provided to The Wire by his family, shows that he is merely 16.

According to the police, Aslam fired the bullet that injured sub-inspector Meena and a country-made pistol was confiscated from him. However, Aslam’s sister-in-law, while speaking to The Wire, alleged that Aslam was at home when the incident took place and refuted the allegations that he fired shots during the incident.

Moreover, she claimed that Aslam was not allowed even to get dressed when the police arrested him and that she was manhandled by the officers when they did so.

According to a document accessed by The Wire requesting medical examinations of the accused, all 14 individuals who have been arrested are Muslim.

 

Heavy police deployment had been present in the area since Saturday night and personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) have reportedly been deployed since Sunday morning to maintain peace and keep the situation under control.

Heavy deployment of security forces can be seen in the area following the clashes. Photo: PTI

Following the incident, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to call for peace in the region.

Kejriwal has also reportedly been in contact with Delhi lieutenant governor (LG) Anil Baijal who said that all the necessary steps were being taken and that those guilty would “not be spared”, according to Dainik Jagran.

Pleading with the public not to pay heed to “rumours and fake news” on social media, Delhi police commissioner Rakesh Asthana also took to Twitter, saying that additional force has been deployed in Jahangirpuri as well as other “sensitive areas”.

Meanwhile, Union home minister Amit Shah reportedly met with Asthana as well as the special police commission (law and order) to get updated on the situation and told them to take all action necessary.

Several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including Manoj Tiwari and Kapil Mishra, have alleged that the incident was a “conspiracy”. Mishra even said that today’s incident was a ‘terror act’, according to a report by India TV. 

The incident has come during a recent spate of communal violence from across the country, the most recent of which are the many attacks reported on Ram Navami, on April 11.

This is a developing story and is being updated with additional details as and when they come in.

(With inputs from Zakir Ali, PTI.)

Watch | How the Attack on Journalists at the Hindu Mahapanchayat in Burari Unfolded

Arbab Ali, one of the journalists attacked by the Hindutva mob, details how the journalists were targeted during the Mahapanchayat and recounts the events of that day.

On April 3, five journalists, four of whom were Muslims, were allegedly attacked by a Hindu mob while covering a Hindu Mahapanchayat at Delhi’s Burari Ground.

The journalists in question were freelancers Arbab Ali and Meer Faisal; photojournalist Mohammad Meherbaan and The Quint’s principal correspondent Meghnad Bose as well as a fifth journalists who, fearing intimidation, wishes to remain anonymous.

The event was organised under the banner of the ‘Save India Foundation’, which is run by Preet Singh, a follower of controversial Hindu priest Yati Narsinghanand; and Pinky Chaudhary, a Hindu Raksha Dal leader.

Singh was also involved in organising a rally at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar last year, where several anti-Muslim slogans were raised, as were calls for violence against Muslims. Narsinghanand, who was also present at Burari Ground, had raised calls for the genocide of Muslims and had told his followers to take up arms for his cause. Both these individuals had been arrested and were subsequently released on bail.

Similar calls for violence were made at the Mahapanchayat at Burari.

After the Hindutva mob attacked the journalists and snatched their cameras and equipment, the scribes were put in a police vehicle for protection and taken to the Mukherjee Nagar police station, where they remained for 12 hours.

Speaking about how the journalists were targeted and detailing the events of the day, Arbab Ali speaks to The Wire’s Sumedha Pal and Nikita Jain.

Journalists ‘Attacked’ During Burari Hindu Mahapanchayat, Where Anti-Muslim Speeches Were Made

The event was being organised under the banner of Save India Foundation run by Preet Singh, a follower of controversial priest Yati Narsinghanand.

New Delhi: Five journalists, including four Muslim journalists, were allegedly beaten up by a right-wing mob during the Hindu Mahapanchyat event organised at Burari on Sunday, April 3. The journalists include freelancers Arbab Ali and Meer Faisal, photojournalist Mohd Meherbaan and The Quint’s principal correspondent Meghnad Bose. The fifth journalist stated that he wants to maintain anonymous, fearing intimidation.

The journalists sought to register a criminal case against their assailants but as of midnight –  despite having spent several hours at the Mukherjee Nagar police station – have still not managed to file a First Information Report, one of the reporters told The Wire.

Newslaundry reporters Shivangi and Ronak Bhatt were also allegedly attacked by the mob.

The journalists said that they were on assignment to cover the event when they were attacked by the mob. They added that their equipment was seized and photographs and videos of the event were deleted.

The event was being organised under the banner of the ‘Save India Foundation’ run by Preet Singh, a follower of controversial priest Yati Narsighanand. The organisers had also invited Sudarshan News editor Suresh Chavhanke as one of the chief guests at the ‘Mahapanchayat’.

In a video shared by AA News, Narsinghanand can be seen speaking at the event. In his speech, he goes on to target Muslims and incite Hindus to pick up weapons. He said, “In 20 years, 40% Hindus will be killed. If you want to change this, be a man. A man keeps weapons.”

Hundreds were reportedly present at the site.

Save India foundation had organised a similar event at Jantar Mantar last year, where anti-Muslim hate speech was given. A chargesheet was filed by the Delhi police in connection with the same foundation in November 2021.

Speaking to The Wire, Ali stated, “We were beaten up brutally by the mob, moreover, videos on Meer’s camera were deleted. I felt like we would be lynched. They called us jihadis when they were beating us up. The police somehow managed to take us away and we are at the police station right now.”

The journalists have been taken to Delhi’s Mukharjee Nagar Police station. Two journalists have reportedly also suffered injuries.

Speaking to The Wire, Meherbaan stated, “We are at the police station and we are in distress, and I am on my roza as well.”

Speaking to The Quint, DCP North West Delhi Usha Rangnani says that permission for the Hindu Mahapanchayat event scheduled to be held on Sunday, 3 April, had been denied.

DCP North Delhi in a tweet clarified that no reporter has been detained. In a bid to protect themselves, the reporters sat in the police van and due protection was given to the journalists, he said.

A day after the incident, the police have filed a case against Meer Faisal and Article 14 under Section 505 (2) of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill will between classes, PTI reported.

Class 6 Student in Delhi’s Mustafabad Denied Entry Into Classroom for Wearing Hijab

After six Muslim women students in Karnataka’s Udupi were denied entry into their classroom for wearing hijabs, the issue has come to the national forefront with schools and colleges in various parts of the country now following suit.

New Delhi: After six Muslim students were denied entry into their classroom for wearing hijabs at the Government Women’s PU College in Karnataka’s Udupi in December last year, many similar incidents have cropped up in educational institutes, first in the state and now across the country.

On Monday, February 21, a government school in Delhi’s Mustafabad region – a region which had been impacted by the February 2020 Northeast Delhi riots – allegedly denied entry to students into classrooms if they were wearing hijabs.

Fatima*, a Class 6 student at the Senior Secondary Girl’s school in Tukhmirpur, was refused entry into her classroom as offline classes resumed this week. In a video that has been making the rounds on social media, the student can be seen explaining what transpired in the classroom, describing how she was pulled out of class and asked to remove the hijab. 

Speaking to The Wire, Fatima’s father Mohammed Ayyub said, “On February 21, my ten-year-old daughter had gone to attend her class. On entering her classroom, her friends, who are also Muslim, told her to remove the hijab as the teacher had asked them to do so.” Fatima was allegedly also taunted by the teacher in front of her classmates.

Ayyub said that when he reached out to the school later seeking answers, he was told that asking students to remove their hijabs was, in fact, in line with a supposed policy of the Delhi government.

“The principal first told me that the Delhi government wants all students to dress uniformly and that she was just following orders. When I asked her to say that on camera or show me a legal notice on the same, four teachers who were in the room snatched my phone and heckled me, with the principal watching. They were all women, so I could not do anything,” Ayyub said.

He added that the principal later back-tracked on her statement and said that while there is no formal order, she cannot allow some students to “look different” from other girls in the school.

Also read: A Bindi, a Hijab and the Inequality in What Is Proclaimed to Be Indian

When contacted by The Wire, the principal, Sushila Devi, denied that any such instance had taken place. Importantly, however, she admitted to the fact that young Muslim students had been taking off their hijabs while entering classrooms prior to the issue being brought to the national forefront.

“Ye aaj se nahi, pehle se ho raha hai aisa, ye kuch special nahi hai. Class main bag main pack karke rakh leti hain (This has been happening for a long time, it is nothing special. The girls pack their hijabs in their bags while attending classes),” Devi said.

However, a former student from Mustafabad who also studied in a school run by the Delhi government in the locality, told The Wire, on the condition of anonymity, that she had never been asked to remove her hijab. “There were only two Muslim students in our batch and we were not asked to remove our hijab ever,” she said.

Ayyub further said, “They are creating a Karnataka-like environment here. I even told the teacher that this is not Karnataka, but she did not listen.” For now, Ayyub said that the principal has “forced him to accept that his daughter will not wear a hijab inside the class” and that she will not be allowed to enter the class next time.

Mustafabad MLA Haji Yunus, when asked about the incident, said it was regrettable that such instances are surfacing.

However, he went on to tell The Wire, “Teacher ki thodi galti thi par humne school main alag ek room allot kar diya hai ki woh change karke classroom main chale jayein. Padhne ke liye toh utarna hi padega woh hijab. Dress main ek hi tarah baithenge toh acha lagega (While the teacher is at fault, we have allotted a separate room where students can change out of their hijab and enter the classroom. The student has to take off their hijab if she wants to study. It is better if all students look the same while studying).”

When asked about the Delhi government’s policy on uniforms, Yunus contradicted himself, saying that there is no restriction. Moreover, the MLA noted that a complaint into the recent incident has been taken into account and that an inquiry is on. “If the teacher is found at fault during the investigation, appropriate action will be taken,” he added.

Devi, however, rejected Yunus’s claims, saying, “Koi special room nahi hai. Ye rule hai ki bag main rakh leta hai baccha. Koi nayi ghatna nahi hui hai (There’s no ‘special room’ (for students to change in). The rule is that the student takes off the hijab and keeps it in their bag. No new incident has taken place).”

Two other similar instances of students being denied entry into classrooms for wearing hijabs have allegedly taken place in Northeast Delhi, in addition to the many instances that have sprung up across the country.

Kashif Afroz, a resident of Mustafabad, told The Wire that the region has been witnessing an increased hostility towards women wearing hijabs, not just in schools but in the outside world as well. He said that he has seen women wearing hijabs being catcalled and made uncomfortable on the streets and outside their homes.

When asked about the incident with Fatima, Afroz said, “It is sad that such an incident took place. I spoke to the girl and she was very distressed about the whole incident. I can confirm that this is not an isolated incident and other students have been denied entry over the same.”

“Fear prevails in the region; many want to conceal their identities,” he added. 

After the first incident in Karnataka last year, the controversy surrounding students wearing hijabs has escalated into a national issue. The matter is currently being heard by a full bench of the Karnataka high court. On February 8, Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai had even ordered schools in the state be closed as students had taken to the streets to protest against the issue. However, even after schools reopened, more instances of these supposed ‘hijab bans’ sprung up.

Also read: ‘No Law Prevents Essential Religious Practice Like Hijab’: Students Argue in Karnataka HC

In Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh, the Dharma Samaj College banned the entry of students wearing hijabs or any clothing other than the “prescribed uniform,” according to a report by the Times of India.

In another instance from Varanasi, protestors outside a school in Shivpur were asking the authorities to “ban hijabs”. The school’s principal, Nirmala Rathore, had said that the dress code is being strictly followed and that no student is allowed to wear a hijab. The youth leading the protests has since been arrested. 

At the Loyola College in Andhra Pradesh’s Vijaywada, too, Muslim women students were stopped at the gate of the college for wearing burqas and hijabs, according to a Hindustan Times report. They were, however, allowed in, following negotiations with the administration.

The issue surrounding the entry of hijab-clad students comes at a time where attacks on Muslims in India are seemingly on the rise.

*Name changed to protect the identity of a minor.