Barely a few days after Bharatiya Janata Party scripted a major victory in Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, dozens of posters asking Muslims to leave the area immediately have sprang up in a Bareilly village.
The warning message in the posters that were found at over a dozen places in UP’s Janagla village says ” All Muslims are hereby asked to leave this village by 3o-12-2017 if you don’t do this you will be responsible for the consequences. With BJP in power in Uttar Pradesh, Hindus of the village would do what US president Trump was doing to Muslims in that count. (Sabhi Musalmanon ko suchit kiya jata hai ki 30-12- 2017 tak ye gaon chor kar chalejayein agar Gaon nahin chorra to iske tum khud jimmedar hoge. Yadi aapne aisa nahin kiya to america me jaise trump kar raha hai waisa hi hum karenge, Kyonki Uttar Pradesh me bhajapa ki sarkaar aa chuki hai. Jaldi Faisla kar lo kyonki tum ab gaon me rehne layak nahin rahe.)”
The posters were signed by the “Hindus of the village” and with the name of a BJP MP on them. The text in all the posters are same and have the intimidating tone in it. Meanwhile, police have removed most of the posters and lodged an FIR against unknown persons. Five young men from the village were also detained for questioning, says a Times of India report.
Of Jianagla’s nearly 2,500 residents, around 200 are Muslims. The posters have raised apprehension among local Muslims. ” We have been living in harmony for generations, and do not know who came up with these posters,” 52 year-old Rafiq told Times of India.
“Even though the authorities have assured security to us and action against the guilty, we have been exploring all options including the extreme one of leaving the village,” another villager told the daily.
Residents of Jianagla said they had no idea how this happened, even though most of them celebrated Holi till late on Sunday night.
