Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha stepped in to ensure Hindu youth from Parel’s Postgalli area, whom Islamists beat up, were served justice. BJP leader Mangal Lodha visited the Bhoiwada Police Station on Wednesday (3 March) evening and took police officers to task following complaints from locals that the Police were troubling Hindu youth instead of acting against the Islamists. He also took the officers to task for their laxity in taking cognisance of the complaints made by Hindus.

On 28 March, when Shiv Jayanti celebrations were going on, a scuffle broke out between Hindu youth and Islamists over a cricket match. As revenge for the same, on 31 March, Islamists launched a life-threatening attack on Hindus. Several Hindu Youths were injured in the attack. Following the assault, Hindu youths approached the Bhoiwada Police, but the Police refused to take down their complaint. The Police have also been accused of assaulting the Hindu youths and threatening them with fake cases.

After learning about the incident, BJP minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha visited the Bhoiwada Police Station and took them to task. He asked why the Police weren’t filing a case against the Islamists and harassing Hindus instead. He added that it was condemnable that the Police weren’t acting against the Islamists. “Do you want South Mumbai to turn into Malvani,” questioned MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha. He further demanded against the accused officers and pressed for strict action against the Islamists. It was only after Mangal Prabhat Lodha visited the Police station that the Police registered a complaint immediately and assured of undertaking a thorough investigation into the matter.

As is their wont, the Times of India (ToI) presented only half-truths. While they wrote about the cricket match, they didn’t highlight that the attack on Hindu youths took place three days (31 March) after the match. Even the Police tried to downplay the incident initially.

Local media reports state that Islamists have been harassing Hindus in Parel’s Postgalli area for the past eight months. Furthermore, the Police haven’t taken any action despite 3 to 4 major incidents involving Islamists having taken place in the last few months. “It has also come to light that those who come to lodge complaints against the Islamists are being threatened and beaten up inside the Police Station. Such incidents of complainant being beaten up inside the Police Station haven’t taken place before. Some politicians are pressuring the Police not to register the complaints. The locals brought this to my notice; hence, I visited the Bhoiwada Police Station to take stock of the situation,” stated Mangal Prabhat Lodha.

While speaking to the media, Mangal Prabhat Lodha stated that he has asked the Police to inquire whether a situation similar to Malvani is being created in Parel by attempting to force a Hindu exodus. It must be highlighted that BJP leader and MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha raised the issue of Hindu exodus from Malvani in the Maharashtra Assembly in 2021.

“There is a pattern to this Hindu exodus. They are being threatened and intimidated to leave their houses. A concerted attempt is being made to evict them. Just like Kashmir, Kairana witnessed the exodus of Hindus, and Malvani in Mumbai is also witnessing the same. If you look at the Vidhan Sabha voters list in Malad-Malvani region, the number of Hindu voters has reduced by about 15,000 while the Muslim voters have risen by 12,000,” he had said while speaking in the Vidhan Sabha in March 2021,

(Featured Image Source: Tarun Bharat)