‘Do I need to choose my friends based on religion?’: Woman after vigilantes disrupt her birthday at Bareilly cafe

Three days after vigilantes stormed into a cafe in Bareilly and disrupted her birthday celebration, while raising allegations of love jihad, the 22-year-old woman said the incident has shattered her reputation and left her afraid of stepping out of her house.

The woman, a final-year nursing student, said 12 people were present at the party and they were her classmates. “I had invited 40 of my classmates but only 12 could attend… among them, two were Muslims. I feel deeply ashamed that my friends were harassed and assaulted…,” she said.

“Do I now need to choose my friends based on their religion?” she asked.

She also said the incident has left her distressed. “I have confined myself to the house and not stepped out… because of fear.”

On Saturday, nearly two dozen vigilantes barged into the cafe and allegedly assaulted the birthday group and staff. The incident was purportedly triggered by the presence of two youths from the Muslim community at the party.

Police had detained the two youths, Shaan and Waqaib, along with the café owner, Shailendra Gangwar, invoking provisions of breach of peace. They were released later on bail on personal bonds, officials had said.

Police have so far arrested five people in connection with the incident. The key accused, Rishabh Thakur and Deepak Pathak, were not among them, officials said. While it was alleged that Rishabh and Deepak have links with the Bajrang Dal, the organisation’s Bareilly coordinator Aryan Chaudhary denied the claim.

Hailing from neighbouring Badaun district, the woman has been living at the hostel of the nursing institute for the past four years. Her father is a farmer, and she is the eldest of two siblings.

After the ruckus, she said she has not returned to her institute and has left the hostel. “I am going through depression because it has ruined my image not just locally, but across the country and even beyond. I cannot understand who gave these assailants the authority to judge people and decide who I should be friends with,” she added.

Staying at her aunt’s house in Bareilly, she recounted what transpired. Around 12.30 pm on December 27, her friends assembled at the cafe. About an hour later, as she was cutting her birthday cake, the group of assailants allegedly barged in, raising slogans.

“They started assaulting my classmates, Waqib and Shaan… some of them began misbehaving with others, including me, while questioning us about our religion,” she claimed.

“My friends pleaded with them to let us leave. Although they were pushed out of the hall, the attackers continued to beat Waqib and Shaan, who suffered serious injuries,” she added, alleging that the assailants misbehaved with her and attempted to snatch her mobile phone.

She said her parents and relatives never objected to her having Muslim friends and are fully aware of her social circle. “I regularly post photos with my friends on social media… I organised the birthday celebration only after asking my parents. They know who my friends are. If they have no objection, then who are these people to try to ‘guide’ me?”

She added that neither her upbringing nor her profession teaches her to judge or differentiate people on the basis of religion.

The woman further alleged that the attack appeared to be planned. “… they immediately targeted Waqib and Shaan as soon as they entered the room,” she claimed.