Moti Nagar Muslims live in fear of backlash

New Delhi: Tension in the air is palpable at the Basai Darapur village in west Delhi’s Moti Nagar with several Muslim residents living under constant fear of backlash — days after a member of the majority Tyagi community was killed by his neighbours from the minority community.

While several Muslim families, who had fled their homes, have returned after assurances from the Delhi police, members of the Tyagi community have decided to boycott Muslims from outside Delhi.

Locals claim that the village remained peaceful even in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992. However, the murder of 51-year-old businessman Dhruv Tyagi on May 12, allegedly for resisting youths who passed lewd remarks at his daughter, has not only shook both the communities to their core but is now threatening the bonhomie that has characterised Basai Darapur for decades.

“Even during the Babri Masjid demolition, we never witnessed any such instance. Hindus and Muslims have always stayed as a family here for ages. This is the first time something horrific like this has happened,” Irfan Salami, a property dealer in the area said.

Mr Salami, who has been living here for the last 44 years, said he was forced to move his family to a relative’s place after he heard that thousands of people from the Tyagi community would be flooding the area. “I returned this morning after assurances from the police,” he added.

The SHO of Moti Nagar police station had met the Muslims of the area personally to assure them that there would be no threat to their safety. While the victim’s family has appealed to not give the incident a communal colour, the locals have alleged that some fringe groups were trying to flame communal passions. “Just to achieve political mileage, some fringe elements are trying to create a rift between the two communities,” Mr Salami said.

His views were corroborated by 32-year-old Riyaz Ahmed, who was among those who took the profusely bleeding Tyagi and his son to the hospital. “I shifted my family to my younger sister’s house in Uttam Nagar. It was only after the assurance of the police that we returned,” said Mr Ahmed, who has been living in the area for the last 35 years.