Uttarakhand: As Muslims in Purola town of Uttarakhand were threatened to leave the place by June 15, even a massive protest was taken out demanding Muslim traders to shut shops and leave, the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) has expressed deep concerns over the incident.
Quoting reports, it claimed that 42 Muslim families have already fled from Purola. Furthermore, nine landlords have issued eviction notices to Muslim tenants.
IAMC believes that the actions taken by the state government, coupled with the rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric, instances of mob violence, arbitrary evictions, and demolitions, indicate a deliberate effort to divide local communities and potentially facilitate the corporate takeover of ecologically sensitive land.
The council has urgently called upon the Governor of Uttarakhand, the Chief Minister, and the Dehradun Police to ensure the safety of the Muslim community and take swift action against the extremists responsible for these threats and acts of violence.
There are 650-700 shops in Purola’s main market, of which 30-40 are owned by Muslims.
The posters came days after two people, including a person from a minority community, allegedly tried to abduct a minor girl from the area. This incident has been referred to as a case of ‘love jihad’.
While, police arrested Ubed Khan, 24, a local shopkeeper, and Jitender Saini, 23, a motorcycle mechanic on May 27 for the alleged abduction attempt, posters appeared on the shutters of the shops late on Sunday evening.
Meanwhile, Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police Arpan Yaduvanshi said that the posters are removed and the anti-social elements who pasted them are being identified. The police also held meetings with the local Vyapar Mandal and public representatives and appealed to them to maintain law and order.
