Madrasa Teacher Wouldn't Shout "Jai Shri Ram", Pushed Off Bengal Train: Report

Police said the madrasa teacher was pushed off the train as it was entering Park Circus station. (File)

A madrasa teacher was allegedly beaten up and pushed out of a moving train in West Bengal last week by a group of men who were forcing him to shout the "Jai Shri Ram" slogan, news agency IANS quoted a government railway police officer as saying today.

The incident came to light three days after a Muslim man, Tabrez Ansari, died of fatal injuries after being allegedly targeted by a right-wing mob under similar circumstances in Jharkhand.

According to IANS, Hafeez Mohammed Sahrukh Haldar -- a 26-year-old madrasa teacher from South 24 Parganas district -- has claimed that he was attacked while travelling from Canning to Hooghly by train last Thursday. "He said that a group of men tried forcing him to chant 'Jai Shri Ram'. When he refused, they beat him up and pushed him off the moving train as it was entering the Park Circus station," the news agency quoted the officer as saying.

The victim reportedly suffered minor injuries on his face and hands. According to news agency ANI, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced a compensation of Rs 50,000.  

Mr Haldar lodged a complaint against unidentified people at the Ballygunj government railway police station on Monday, IANS quoted the official as saying. However, the first information report made no mention of the claim that he was being forced to shout "Jai Shri Ram".

The mob killing of 24-year-old Tabrez Ansari has sparked outrage across the country, with opposition leaders alleging that such incidents have become disturbingly common over the last few years. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi termed it as a "blot on humanity", and said he was shocked by the "silence of powerful voices" in the central and state governments.

Party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said that if this was the BJP's idea of a "new India", he would prefer the old one "where all religions were equal".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded earlier today by saying that while he was pained by Tabrez Ansari's death, it would be unfair to brand Jharkhand as a "hub of lynching". Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, for his part, vowed to not let the "destructive agenda of certain people" hijack the BJP government's pursuit of development.

Eleven people have been arrested in connection with Tabrez Ansari's death, and a special investigation team has been set up to probe the matter.

(With inputs from IANS)