Law fails, mob rules: video shows BJP workers attacking Muslim cattle traders
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Despite arrests being made in several such incidents across BJP-ruled states in northern India, the assault on Muslim cattle traders by BJP members in West Bengal’s Durgapur has once again highlighted the growing pattern of systematic persecution by Hindutva mobs, as the attacks show no signs of abating.
On Friday, August 1, a group of Muslim cattle traders were allegedly assaulted by a mob of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers, who accused them of smuggling cows and branded them as ‘Bangladeshis’, even though the traders were reportedly transporting cattle for farming purposes.
A video of the incident, shared by Alt News founder Mohammed Zubair, which surfaced online, shows 15 to 20 BJP workers tying up the traders, forcing them to do sit-ups while holding their ears in a humiliating manner, before releasing the cattle by cutting off their ropes.
The incident occurred within the jurisdiction of the Coke Oven police station in Durgapur, where prompt police intervention led to the registration of a case and the arrest of two individuals, identified as Deepak Das and Anish Bhattacharya.
The police also named Parijat Ganguly, a member of the BJP’s youth wing (BJYM), as the prime accused, and have launched raids to apprehend the rest of the culprits involved in the attack.
The West Bengal Police, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), confirmed that the victims belonged to a minority community and were brutally beaten by miscreants affiliated with a particular political party. Emphasising their stance on communal harmony, the police assured that none of the perpetrators would be spared, and warned that no one would be allowed to damage the state’s inclusive social fabric.
The incident adds to a growing list of similar attacks across India, where Muslim cattle traders have repeatedly become targets of violent mobs who justify their actions under the guise of cow protection.
While authorities have occasionally taken action against perpetrators, human rights groups and civil society have pointed to a broader atmosphere of impunity and communal polarisation that enables such incidents to recur.
