Pune Bakery burnt by mob mistaking Hindu owner for Muslim: Islamophobia claims innocent victim
Pune: A bakery owned by a Hindu man in Maharashtra’s Pune district was set ablaze by a violent mob after false rumours spread that the establishment belonged to a Muslim. The shocking incident occurred in Yavat village amidst rising communal tensions in the area. The owner, Swapnil Adinath Kadam, became a victim of Islamophobic violence despite belonging to the Hindu community.
The violence was reportedly sparked by two developments: the alleged defacement of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and a provocative social media post. These incidents stoked communal unrest in Yavat, culminating in a protest rally that soon turned into a riot.
As the rally progressed, a section of the mob moved toward a local mosque. On the way, they encountered Kadam's bakery. Mistaking the presence of Muslim workers as evidence of Muslim ownership, someone from the crowd shouted that the bakery belonged to a Muslim. The unverified claim quickly escalated into a frenzied attack.
Speaking to the media, Swapnil Kadam recounted the terrifying moment his shop was targeted: "Someone in the crowd just shouted that the bakery is owned by a Muslim because I employ Muslim workers from Uttar Pradesh. They didn't stop to verify anything."
Kadam said the mob began pelting stones, ripped off the tin roof, and hurled some inflammable material inside, setting the bakery ablaze. Within minutes, the entire structure was engulfed in flames, reducing his livelihood to ashes.
Innocent victims
Kadam made it clear that neither he nor his employees had any link to the controversial social media post that allegedly triggered the violence. "My workers are here just for employment. They have nothing to do with any communal post or religious dispute," he emphasised.
The bakery, which Kadam had built from scratch to support his family, is now completely destroyed. The emotional and financial toll on him and his family is immense.
Local police have launched an investigation and the administration has appealed for calm. However, the atmosphere in Yavat remains tense.
A local resident, speaking on the condition of anonymity to The Observer Post, expressed his dismay: "The way people instantly blame Muslims without any evidence shows the extent of hatred we’re living with. Today it was a Hindu who suffered because of this environment."
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Niqab incident: Nitish Kumar perhaps revealing his true colours, says J-K CM
Srinagar (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday criticised his Bihar counterpart over the niqab incident and said that Nitish Kumar might be slowly revealing his true nature.
"Nitish Kumar, who was once considered a secular leader, may be slowly showing his true colours," Abdullah told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.
Abdullah said Kumar removing the face veil of a Muslim woman doctor was wrong and cannot be justified by any means.
"We have seen this kind of incident here several years ago. Have you forgotten how Mehbooba Mufti removed the burqa of a legitimate voter inside a polling station? That act was wrong, and this act (of Kumar) is also wrong.
"If the (Bihar) chief minister did not want to hand over the order to her (Muslim woman), they could have kept her aside. However, to humiliate her like this is totally wrong," the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.
Kumar stirred a huge controversy after he removed the face veil of a Muslim woman at a function earlier this week.
