By AK Hafiz

NEW DELHI - Dozens of shops owned by Muslims in the Gurgaon area near the capital New Delhi were set on fire and looted after a mob of Hindu militants group attacked on a mosque and killed prayer leader (Imam). 

On Tuesday, a group of nearly 200 militants of Hindu militants organization Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) attacked a local mosque in Sector 57, Gurgaon and killed Hafiz Saad 19 while two others were wounded in the attack, according to the Muslim Mirror. 

The militants also set fire to the mosque and caused huge damages to the building. 

“Hafiz Saad, who hailed from a small village called Maniyadhia in Saitamarhi district, Bihar, had left his studies at a young age to support his family due to unfavourable domestic circumstances and the responsibility of three sisters, according to the the daily report.

“Such incidents are happening close to Delhi, what message this government wants to send to the world,” the daily quoted former MP Ali Anwar as saying.

Following attack on mosque, the Hindu militants mob also torched dozen of shops owned by Muslims in Gurgaon, southwest of capital New Delhi,  and asked the Muslim families living in the area to vacate their homes and businesses by 4 am Wednesday, or else should be ready to bear consequences.

“More Muslim-owned shops are being burned by Hindu supremacists in Gurgaon-This is not happening in any corner of the country, it is only a few kilometers from Modi’s official residence!,” Ashok Swain, a prominent human rights activist said.

The growing attacks against Muslim have spread fear among the largest minority of the country as currently, nearly 200 million Muslims live in the over 1.2 billion Hindu majority country.

“Haryana: After vandalising Muslim shops & homes in Badshahpur, Muslim shops ransacked in Gurgaon's Pataudi chowk & Manesar!!! Meat shops owned by Muslims were vandalised by mob! Hindutva outfits have threatened Muslim shopkeepers to leave Gurgaon!,” Muslim Spaces, a Twitter space for Muslims in India wrote on Twitter. 

“Restaurants, fruit juice shops & auto spare part shops vandalised in Badshahpur main market! Muslim shopkeepers fled fearing for their lives! At least 4 eatery shops & scrap shops set ablaze by a group of men in sector 66!,” it reported. 

Dozen videos of Gurgaon’s vandalism posted by local people on social media show large-scale destruction caused by the VHP militants to Muslim businesses.

In one video an elderly Muslim shopkeeper in Sector 66 of Gurgaon, who own a blanket and pillow shop in the area, was burned down by a Hindu mob and he was collecting the ashes of his belonging.

“Punishment for being an INDIAN-Muslim in his own country? #MuslimsUnderAttack What’s mistake of this old man who ran a blanket & pillow shop out of Gurgaon’s Sector-66? His shop was put on fire. #Mewatviolence ,” a local Indian Muslim Saifuddin wrote as a caption with a Video of the elderly man. 

So far, no action has been taken against the militant group who burnt down mosque and shops in the area, however police said they will arrest those who committed the crime.