Skip to main content

VHP accused of targeting Gujarat Muslim youth of Pak, terror link, cow slaughter

Well-known social activist Sandeep Pandey has taken strong exception to alleged targeting of one Nasir Pathan, 42, resident of Chandana village in Kheda district, Gujarat, by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists by taking up an “emotional” issue like cow slaughter. Pandey in a statement has demanded from the authorities to take action against people who abuse religious agenda to serve their political and personal interests.
After a series of accusations, including for cow slaughter, failing to find any substantiation, Pandey, who is winner of the prestigious Magsaysay award and is vice-president of the Socialist Party (India), said, VHP activists have filed a weird complaint stating that Pathan has been to Pakistan and moves around the country, and has links with terrorists.
An activist of the Socialist Party (India), Nasir, Pandey asserted, did go to Pakistan, but that was “on a mission to promote peace and friendship at people-to-people level in which I’ve also participated”, adding, “He indeed moves around the country but only to meet activists and attend meetings of social organizations.”
About a week back, Pandey said in his statement, VHP activists had filed a complaint with the district magistrate, Kheda, that Nasir Pathan had slaughtered hundred cows in 2019 and buried them in the land on which Bharat Bhai Ramji Bhai Lamka runs a restaurant. “The police did not believe in the wild story and refused to file FIR”, Pandey said.
It all began with a debt dispute resulting from Lamka taking a loan of Rs 10-15 lakh in several installments, whose amount is claimed to have reached a whopping Rs 90 lakh. Nasir came in picture recently when his support was sought by a VHP activist, who had given the loan, to evict Lakma from the land. However, Nasir refused citing a written agreement.
Failing to get cop response, a new complaint was filed by the VHP activist against Pathan, Lamka and his two brothers Randchod Bhai and Bhupat Bhai, two others from Chandana villagers Ibrahim and Salim, a butcher, that they had come and attacked him with a knife with the intention to kill him.
“Bringing pressure from some higher level office bearers of VHP, this time the devious brothers were successful in getting a FIR registered. All accused had to take bail from the magistrate”, Pandey said.

Comments

TRENDING

Irrational? Basis for fear among Hindus about being 'swamped' by Muslims

I was amused while reading an article titled "Ham Paanch, Hamare Pachees", shared on Facebook, by well-known policy analyst Mohan Guruswamy, an alumnus of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Guruswamy, who has also worked as an advisor to the Finance Minister with the rank of Secretary to the Government of India, seeks to probe, as he himself states, "the supposed Muslim attitude to family planning"—a theme that was invoked by Narendra Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister ahead of the December 2002 assembly polls.

Why's Australian crackdown rattling Indian students? Whopping 25% fake visa applications

This is what happened several months ago. A teenager living in the housing society where I reside was sent to Australia to study at a university in Sydney with much fanfare. The parents, whom I often met as part of a group, would tell us how easily the boy got his admission with the help of "some well-meaning friends," adding that they had obtained an education loan to ensure he could study at a graduate school.

Tracking a lost link: Soviet-era legacy of Gujarati translator Atul Sawani

The other day, I received a message from a well-known activist, Raju Dipti, who runs an NGO called Jeevan Teerth in Koba village, near Gujarat’s capital, Gandhinagar. He was seeking the contact information of Atul Sawani, a translator of Russian books—mainly political and economic—into Gujarati for Progress Publishers during the Soviet era. He wanted to collect and hand over scanned soft copies, or if possible, hard copies, of Soviet books translated into Gujarati to Arvind Gupta, who currently lives in Pune and is undertaking the herculean task of collecting and making public soft copies of Soviet books that are no longer available in the market, both in English and Indian languages.

Gujarat slips in India Justice Report 2025: From model state to mid-table performer

Overall ranking in IJR reports The latest India Justice Report (IJR), prepared by legal experts with the backing of several civil society organisations and aimed at ranking the capacity of states to deliver justice, has found Gujarat—considered by India's rulers as a model state for others to follow—slipping to the 11th position from fourth in 2022.

Punishing senior citizens? Flipkart, Shopsy stop Cash on Delivery in Ahmedabad!

The other day, someone close to me attempted to order some goodies on Flipkart and its subsidiary Shopsy. After preparing a long list of items, this person, as usual, opted for the Cash on Delivery (popularly known as COD) option, as this senior citizen isn't very familiar with online prepaid payment methods like UPI, credit or debit cards, or online bank transfers through websites. In fact, she is hesitant to make online payments, fearing, "I may make a mistake," she explained, adding, "I read a lot about online frauds, so I always choose COD as it's safe. I have no knowledge of how to prepay online."

A conman, a demolition man: How 'prominent' scribes are defending Pritish Nandy

How to defend Pritish Nandy? That’s the big question some of his so-called fans seem to ponder, especially amidst sharp criticism of his alleged insensitivity during his journalistic career. One such incident involved the theft and publication of the birth certificate of Masaba Gupta, daughter of actor Neena Gupta, in the Illustrated Weekly of India, which Nandy was editing at the time. He reportedly did this to uncover the identity of Masaba’s father.

Of lingering shadow of Haren Pandya's murder during Modi's Gujarat days

Sunita Williams’ return to Earth has, ironically, reopened an old wound: the mysterious murder of her first cousin, the popular BJP leader Haren Pandya, in 2003. Initially a supporter of Narendra Modi, Haren turned against him, not sparing any opportunity to do things that would embarrass Modi. Social media and some online news portals, including The Wire , are abuzz with how Modi’s recent invitation to Sunita to visit India comes against the backdrop of how he, as Gujarat’s chief minister, didn’t care to offer any official protocol support during her 2007 visit to Gujarat.  

Area set aside in Ahmedabad for PM's affordable housing scheme 'has gone to big builders'

Following my article on affordable housing in Counterview, which quoted a top real estate consultant, I was informed that affordable housing—a scheme introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi—has deviated from its original intent. A former senior bureaucrat, whom I used to meet during my Sachivalaya days, told me that an entire area in Ahmedabad, designated for the scheme, has been used to construct costly houses instead. 

Just 5% Gujarat Dalit households 'recognise' social reformers who inspired Ambedkar

An interesting survey conducted across 22 districts and 32 villages in Gujarat sheds light on the representation of key social reformers in Dalit households. It suggests that while Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's photo was displayed in a majority of homes, images of Lord Buddha and the 19th-century reformist couple, Savitribai Phule and Jyotiba Phule, were not as commonly represented.