In a concerning incident, international students at the Gujarat University in Ahmedabad alleged they were attacked by a mob for offering Ramzan Taraweeh prayers at their hostel on Saturday night. Videos of the attack have been circulated on social media, triggering outrage.
Five students were injured in the attack that happened at the 'A' block of the hostel of the public state university, according to reports. The injured students were reportedly admitted to the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Hospital.
Watch the videos below
One of the videos showed the mob vandalising hostel property by throwing stones at the students' room and attacking their vehicles. The international students, mostly from Africa and Central Asia, said they were assaulted over offering Taraweer prayers at a hostel room. During the month of Ramzan, Taraweeh prayers are special prayers that are voluntarily performed by Muslims. They are offered at night, usually after the obligatory Isha (night) prayer.
In one of the videos, one man wearing a saffron shawl can be heard cussing at the students and raising Hindutva slogans.
Warning: Strong language. Discretion advised
The attackers, wearing saffron shawls, wielding knives and bats, could be heard chanting Hindutva slogans as they continued their assault. The security guard of the hostel was seen requesting the mob to stop its assault, however, he was unable to control them.
The police arrived at the scene but allegedly did not taken action against the vandals. "Police let them go, Police let them go! They are running away! They broke everything. They are going away. The police aren't arresting them. This is a democratic country, this is a secular country," one of the students can be heard saying in the video.
Congress MLA Imran Khedawala and former Congress MLA Gyasuddin reached the hospital and assured to provide all possible help to the foreign students. It remained unclear whether police filed any cases against the attackers.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi reacted to the attack, saying that "anti-Muslim hatred is destroying India's goodwill"
