Congress MP Mohammad Jawaid on Wednesday said that he has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging that Muslims in Delhi’s Uttam Nagar have been facing open threats and hateful slogans ahead of Eid amid tensions in the area.

Jawaid also claimed that there had been a perception of a selective police response, which he said was emboldening those “seeking to disturb communal harmony”.

The letter comes days after a man named Tarun Bhutolia died after being severely injured in a clash during Holi celebrations on March 4 that began when a water balloon accidentally thrown by an 11-year-old girl from the third floor of a building fell on a Muslim woman standing below.

The incident had led to an argument between the two neighbouring families from different religious communities.

The 26-year-old’s killing had sparked tensions in the area. Several vehicles were damaged and some were set on fire during protests by residents, following which police and paramilitary personnel were deployed.

Muslim residents of the area have also flagged calls for violence during Eid on Saturday.

In his letter to the home minister on Wednesday, Jawaid said that members of the Muslim community in Uttam Nagar were facing “open threats, intimidation and a systematic attempt to create fear in their daily lives”.

The MP from Bihar’s Kishanganj Lok Sabha seat said that “what is unfolding is not an isolated law-and-order issue, but a pattern of targeted hostility that raises serious questions about the state’s ability and willingness to protect all citizens equally”.

He added: “Public threats, inflammatory slogans and the circulation of hate-filled content have created an atmosphere where a section of Indian citizens feel unsafe in the national capital itself.”

The Congress MP urged Shah to take cognisance of the situation and ensure accountability for any lapse in maintaining law and order. He also sought directions to the Delhi Police to “act firmly and impartially against those spreading hate, issuing threats or attempting to communalise the situation”.

Jawaid further sought “visible and effective” protection for vulnerable residents to restore confidence on the ground. “Initiate an independent review of police action to address concerns of bias or inaction,” he added.

The letter noted that silence or delay of the state in such moments sends a dangerous message that intimidation can replace law, and fear can override rights. “This must not be allowed in a constitutional democracy,” Jawaid added.

Sharing the letter on social media, the Congress MP added that the letter had been signed by several legislators from Opposition parties, including from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Samajwadi Party.

Adjournment motion

Earlier on Wednesday, Jawaid also said that he had moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha to discuss the “alarming situation in Uttam Nagar and the recent arrests linked to an iftar gathering on the banks of the Ganga”.

The Congress MP was referring to the arrest of 14 Muslims in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of Hindus after they organised an iftar party on a boat in the river Ganga and ate chicken biryani.

They were arrested after a video showing them holding the party on the boat on Monday was widely shared on social media.

A police complaint was filed by Rajat Jaiswal, the chief of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s youth wing in the city, who alleged that the incident had hurt religious sentiments of the Hindus. In his complaint, Jaiswal alleged that the persons had thrown meat leftovers into the Ganga, which holds religious significance for Hindus.

Noting that Iftar is a peaceful and integral religious practice during Ramzan, Jawaid in his letter to the secretary general of the Lok Sabha said that criminalising such a gathering reflects a “clear misuse of law and indicates a pattern of targeting minorities under the guise of enforcement”.