In Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district, a Muslim man Arif Shah, son of Abid Shah, has been boycotted by the Muslim community along with his family. The reason behind the boycott is that he applied tilak to a Hindu during the electoral atmosphere there.
He has reportedly lodged a complaint with the district Superintendent of Police (SP) Rakesh Kumar Singh after which police personnel advised the community leaders and warned that any further boycott would be subjected to legal action. According to the police, the issue has been resolved.
The case pertains to Tejgarh village, which is within the jurisdiction of Tejgarh police station. People from the Hindu community, according to Arif Shah, reside close to his residence. People were interacting with one another during election season when he applied a tika to the forehead of a Hindu guy with gulal (colour) in the midst of the reception.
After the incident, Muslims of the area along with leaders of the community ostracised him and his family. He mentioned that the latter’s family is immensely influential and the entire community abides by his commands.
The victim stated that after his mother passed away some time ago, he called his religious brethren over for food but no one showed up, causing him to suffer a great loss. He revealed that members of his community do not invite him or his family to any wedding functions which is why he complained to the police.
The SP further said that following the allegation, the Additional SP called everyone involved in the matter, advised them and settled the problem. It has been made clear to everyone that whoever is responsible will face strict punishment if such an instance happens again. Police will continue to monitor the situation and efforts will be implemented to ensure that similar occurrences do not transpire in the future.