Hindu Man Arrested for Mercilessly Beating Muslim Boy for Drinking Temple Water in India - Video

India is home to thousands of castes and many religions, while proudly boasting its “unity in diversity”. More often than not, however, stories about Hindus and Muslims fighting and hurting each other often make the headlines.

Early Saturday morning, Ghaziabad police arrested Shringi Yadav in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, after a video of him slapping a young Muslim boy and twisting his arm for drinking water from a temple hand pump went viral on social media.

उपरोक्त वीडियो का तत्काल संज्ञान लेकर टीम गठित कर मार पिटाई करने वाले व्यक्ति- श्रृंगी नंदन यादव पुत्र अश्वनी कुमार यादव निवासी गोपालपुर थाना संवारा भागलपुर बिहार को हिरासत में लिया गया एवं मुकदमा पंजीकरण/वैधानिक कार्रवाई संबंधी प्रक्रिया प्रचलित की गई pic.twitter.com/MVEXfqwnJ6

— GHAZIABAD POLICE (@ghaziabadpolice) March 12, 2021

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In the video clip, shot near the premises of Ghaziabad’s Devi Dasna Temple, at first Yadav can be heard asking a Muslim boy his name - which is Asif followed by his father's name and then the reason why he was in the temple, to which the boy replies that he “...had come to drink water”. After the conversation, Yadav can be seen beating Asif.

WARNING: The following video is disturbing and may not be suitable for some audiences

@Uppolice
SIR PLZ NOTICE THIS
DASNA GAZIABAD UP

A #minorin #Muslim boy named Asif was brutally beaten by Shringi Yadav for drinking water from a temple & the video was posted on his #instagram.#arestshringiyadav pic.twitter.com/1GR7NVk0Rt

— #binod (@binod__budy) March 13, 2021

​The snippet has stirred a major social media outrage in India, with some netizens demanding a government response to the example of communal violence.

What kind of sick person you have to be to mercilessly assault a child? His fault was that he went to drink water in temple. Hope @ghaziabadpolice arrest this sick man! He’s a danger to society! https://t.co/2PuYCHhQlH

— Rifat Jawaid (@RifatJawaid) March 12, 2021

Horrific!! A mob of Hindu extremists viciously assault a Muslim boy for drinking water from a temple in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

The perpetrators know their violence has the tacit approval of the state, so they uploaded the attack on social media! pic.twitter.com/pkAgHrEzbe

— CJ Werleman (@cjwerleman) March 12, 2021

First, a Muslim is lynched over beef, then over Jai Shri Ram slogan. And now beaten for drinking water in a temple. So much for sabka saath, savka vishwas when Muslims are being beaten for drinking water’. BJP has incentivized hate and violence! pic.twitter.com/5KfQyJ2wG2

— Salman Nizami (@SalmanNizami_) March 12, 2021

​According to the police, Yadav originates from Bhagalpur in Bihar. The police have taken Yadav into custody and a case has been registered against him.

Last year, when violent riots erupted in Delhi over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Muslims had alleged that they were being beaten up for admitting to being Islamic. Enforced in December 2019, the controversial CAA entitles only non-Muslim migrants from India's neighbouring countries that came to India before 2015 to apply for citizenship. The act has faced major flak in India for discriminating against Muslims migrants.

Previously, incidents of Muslims being lynched for consuming cow meat have emerged in India, where Hindus consider the cows sacred. 

Cases of violence initiated by Muslims also happenregularly in the country. 

Last month, a 25-year-old member of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was stabbed in Delhi by Muslims. Sharma's family alleged that their son fell victim to communal violence because he was collecting money to contribute in the construction of Lord Ram's temple in Ayodhya. 

Delhi: Bajrang Dal activist who was collecting donations for Ram Mandir stabbed to death, had an argument with local Muslims youths over the donation drive

Rinku Sharma was mob lynched by Nasiruddin and other 14 peacefuls at midnight that too in his house#justiceforrinkusharma pic.twitter.com/76gkz7yvXr

— shatrudra pratap (@shatrudrapratap) February 12, 2021

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