Hindutva activists affiliated with the VHP and Bajrang Dal pasted “JIHADI” slips on Muslim employees in the BJP-ruled Indian state of Uttarakhand. VHP-Bajrang Dal members pasted “JIHADI” slips on Muslim employees at a Metro Shoes store in Dehradun city. In yet another Islamophobic incident, a deeply disturbing scene unfolded at the Metro Shoes showroom in Dehradun after a group of Hindutva supporters affiliated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal allegedly entered the store and publicly targeted Muslim employees, branding them as “jihadis.” 

According to eyewitnesses, the group barged into the showroom and confronted two Muslim workers, accusing them of “concealing their identities to mislead Hindu customers.” The Hindutva groups claimed that the employees were not displaying their names on their badges and framed the issue as part of what they described as the “deception” of Hindu buyers. 

In a provocative and humiliating act, members of the group reportedly pasted slips labelled “JIHADI” onto the employees’ nameplates inside the showroom while raising slogans and questioning the store’s hiring practices. The assailants also accused the Muslim employees of stealing products and deliberately cheating customers, though no evidence supporting the allegations has emerged.

Eyewitnesses described the atmosphere as chaotic and intimidating, with the confrontation disrupting business operations for a considerable period. Customers and staff were reportedly left shaken by the incident. The incident adds to a growing pattern of vigilante harassment targeting Muslims in public spaces and workplaces under the guise of combating the so-called “love jihad” or “economic jihad” narratives promoted by Hindutva groups. Attempts to reach the Dehradun Police for comment were unsuccessful. No formal complaint, detention, or arrest has been confirmed so far.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)