Muslims, other minorities protest in Maharashtra against targeted violence, demand safeguards
Mumbai: Amid rising concerns over communal tensions and incidents of targeted violence across India, minority communities, particularly Muslims, staged a protest in Beed city of Maharashtra, voicing alarm over increasing insecurity and marginalisation.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the demonstration, organised by the Minority Protection Sangharsh Committee, took place outside the district collector’s office on Friday, May 1, coinciding with Maharashtra Foundation Day.
Participants, particularly from the Muslim community, turned out in large numbers to highlight concerns over atrocities, injustice, mob lynching, hate speech, and inflammatory statements by certain political leaders targeting minorities.
The organisers stressed that such incidents have created widespread fear among various minority groups, including Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Parsis, and Jews, not only in Maharashtra but across India.
The committee called for the immediate introduction of a dedicated Minority Protection Law, modelled on the lines of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. They maintained that such legislation is crucial to ensuring constitutional safeguards, enhancing security, and preventing targeted violence, with particular emphasis on the protection of Muslims.
The protest remained peaceful and symbolic, reflecting a broader demand for accountability and stronger institutional mechanisms to safeguard vulnerable communities, while also underscoring growing concerns over communal harmony.
