Muslim man alleges threats for idolising PM Modi, Mohan Bhagwat; says 'both work for poor'

“At times, they beat me on the pretext of hiring the auto-rickshaw and at times on unpaid dues of my mother. They tell my family that I was following the leader (PM Modi) who massacred Muslims in Gujarat,” Sheikh Akbar said.

Burhanpur: A Muslim youth in the Shikarpura police station area in Madhya Pradesh's Burhanpur has alleged attacks by local Muslims for sticking the pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on his autorickshaw. Sheikh Akbar, a resident of Nehru Nagar, and an auto-rickshaw driver said he had no house of his own and was unemployed, but received housing in 2019-20 and the rickshaw in 2017 under the Pradhan Mantri Awas and Pradhan Mantri Rozgar Yojana.

Akbar said that since he put PM Modi's and Bhagwat's images on the back of his rickshaw, the local Muslim youth have been threatening and beating him on one pretext or the other. “They beat me on the pretext of hiring the auto-rickshaw and at times for the unpaid dues of my mother. They tell my family that I was following the leader (PM Modi) who massacred Muslims in Gujarat,” Akbar said.

Akbar said he was a fan of Modi and Bhagwat as both were “working for the welfare of the poor”. “I had no house and nothing to eat, but people have a problem with my progress today,” he added. Akbar alleged inaction on part of the police over the matter. Local youth BJP leader Priyank Thakur while condemning the alleged attacks on Akbar said, “Is putting photos of Modi Ji and Bhagwat Ji such a big sin?

They have assaulted his brother and are not sparing his mother either. Now, if he is chanting Siya Ram and has faith in Santana Dharam and PM Modi, will you murder him?” he asked.