Following the clash, leaders affiliated with Hindu right-wing groups and leaders of the Telangana BJP pinned the blame on Muslims, dubbing them ‘religious goons’.
By TNM Staff
A clash erupted between a group of Muslims and a group of persons belonging to Scheduled Tribes in Hyderabad’s Cherlapally on Sunday, March 24, after the latter allegedly played music close to a mosque in the area, during Holi celebrations. Songs with lyrics like Hum Hindu hain (We are Hindu) were heard in several videos that surfaced on social media.
In her complaint, Rupa, the woman injured in the clash, alleged that she and several others were celebrating the festival of Holi when Muslim residents of Bakri Mandi, an area close to Rupa’s residence in Pittala Basti, attacked them.
Syed Kaleem, one of the accused in Rupa’s complaint, also approached the Medipally police station with a complaint of his own. In his complaint, Kaleem claimed that he and other Muslims were attacked when they questioned the residents of Pittala Basti about the kind of music being played at the ongoing Holi celebrations. Kalem alleged in his complaint that the altercation intensified with the arrival of BJP supporters.
“The songs played were those sung by BJP MLA Raja Singh, known for his communal speeches, at several rallies. We did not interrupt the celebrations until evening prayers. The situation escalated when we tried to record them dancing to the music close to the mosque,” Kaleem said.
This story was originally published in thenewsminute.com. Read the full story here.