In Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim elder, Zahid Saifi, was brutally attacked after offering prayers at the Abu Bakar Mosque. Saifi, who supports the BJP on the Waqf Amendment Bill, was assaulted by a dozen miscreants armed with sticks, batons, and sharp weapons, leaving him seriously injured.
The attack stemmed from Saifi’s vocal support for the Waqf Amendment Bill during a discussion outside the mosque. When some people criticized the bill, he defended it, leading to violent retaliation. The assailants warned against opposing the amendment and then fled the scene.
Saifi later stated that during the attack, he was taunted, told he was no longer Muslim but had “become Hindu” due to his political views. However, he reaffirmed his happiness over the bill’s passage, claiming it would curb exploitation of the Waqf Board and benefit poor Muslims.
Saifi, the brother-in-law of former UP Minority Commission chairman Ashfaq Saifi, had already faced objections from locals after his relative had supported the bill on social media. Despite this, he stood by his stance, further provoking his attackers.
After the incident, bystanders took the injured Saifi to the police, who launched an investigation. While the attackers had escaped, authorities swiftly registered a case and arrested three suspects.
