Incidents of violence and threats against Muslims have been reported from at least four states across the country in the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22.

Twenty-six persons were killed and 17 were injured in the attack that took place in the Baisaran area of Anantnag district.

The terrorists targeted tourists after asking their names to ascertain their religion, the police said. All but three of those who died were Hindu.

Following the attack, incidents of violence and intimidation of Muslims were reported from Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Shawl sellers attacked in Uttarakhand

At least 16 shawl sellers from Kashmir have left Mussoorie after two vendors were allegedly attacked by locals on April 23, The Indian Express reported on Wednesday, quoting police officials.

Three men have been arrested in connection with the attack, PTI quoted Director-General of Police Deepam Seth as saying.

One of the vendors who was assaulted, Shabir Ahmed Dar from Kupwara, told The Indian Express that he had been visiting Mussoorie for 18 years to sell his goods. He added that the attackers were from the area and had seen them before.

“No one stood up for us,” the newspaper quoted Dar as saying. He added that the police had told them there were threats levelled against Kashmiris after the Pahalgam terror attack and that it was better for them to leave.

Unidentified police officers told The Indian Express that the three accused, identified as Suraj Singh, Pradeep Singh and Abhishek Uniyal, were members of the Hindutva group Bajrang Dal. “They were arrested under Section 81 of the Police Act [related to disorderly conduct], and challaned and let go of,” the police said. “They apologised for the offence.”

Man lynched in Mangaluru

A man was lynched after he allegedly shouted pro-Pakistan slogans during a cricket match in Karnataka’s Mangaluru district. Fifteen persons have been arrested for the killing and over 25 suspects identified, Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal said on Tuesday.

The man, identified as Ashraf, 36, hailed from Parappur in Kerala’s Malappuram district, reported The Indian Express. His family told the newspaper that he had an intellectual disability.

The incident came to light around 5.30 pm on Sunday after the police were told about an unidentified body found near a temple on the outskirts of Mangaluru. A preliminary autopsy report revealed that the man died of internal bleeding due to blunt force and in absence of timely medical aid.

As per preliminary information, the man arrived at the spot around 3.30 pm when a cricket match was underway and got into an argument with a man named Sachin who assaulted him. “Sachin’s associates turned up and they too joined in the assault,” the police officer added.

15-year-old assaulted in Aligarh

A 15-year-old Muslim student in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh was allegedly assaulted and forced to urinate on a Pakistan flag by a group on Monday after he picked up the flag that had been kept on the road during a protest against the Pahalgam terror attack, The Indian Express reported.

“Pakistan murdabad” was written under the flag.

Police told the newspaper that the incident occurred when the boy was returning home from school. Videos of the incident shared widely on social media showed the boy surrounded by men asking him to shout slogans.

The boy picked up the flag from the middle of the road when he was on his way from school, The Indian Express quoted Pankaj Kumar Misra, station house officer of the Banna Devi police station, as saying.

The protesters asked him to put the flag back, Misra said, adding: “They then allegedly asked him what he could do in solidarity with the protest and told him to urinate on the flag.”

MLA receives death threat in Bhopal

In Bhopal, Congress MLA Arif Masood received death threats from a man accusing him of supporting the Pahalgam terror attack, The Times of India reported.

A first information report was filed after Masood, who represents the Bhopal (Central) seat in the Assembly, registered a complaint at the Shahjanabad police station.

The threat came from a man identified as Sachin Raghuvanshi, who wrote on the social media platform Facebook that he would “kill Arif Masood tomorrow”, The Times of India reported.

“Who will take the responsibility of getting me out of jail?” Raghuvanshi asked. “After the massacre that took place in Pahalgam, I will kill a traitor, a man who is supporting the incident.”

Also read: Why Opposition is going soft on Modi government for security lapses in Pahalgam