2 Muslim boys harassed by Bajrang Dal at birthday party in UP's Bareilly, fined by cops for ‘disturbing peace’

ANatal day company at a coffeehouse in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly turned controversial after a aggroup of right-wing activists barged in and gate-crashed the assemblage, alleging "love jihad". Two Muslim youth were among the party attendees, which was interrupted by members of the Bajrang Dal who stormed into the cafe and reportedly thrashed one of the attendees.Also read: ‘Today Shahbagh, tomorrow Jamuna’: Osman Hadi's Inqilab Moncho plans mega blockades across Bangladesh, issues warningAs the situation escalated, police got involved and fined two Muslim youths, who were among the 10 attendees of the party. The staffer of the restaurant was also fined for “disturbing the peace”, news agency PTI reported.Bajrang Dal members thrashed one of the two Muslim youth, accusing them of ‘love jihad’, the report said. A girl who tried to intervene was also thrashed, the Times of India reported.Also read: ‘80 drones, 36 hrs’: In anti-India rhetoric, Pak FM ends up admitting Operation Sindoor strikeA video of the incident purportedly showing the activists creating ruckus inside the cafe was shared on social media. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.The incident occurred on Saturday night when a first-year BSc Nursing student hosted her birthday party at the restaurant in the Prem Nagar area that was attended by nine friends -- five women and four men.The presence of Muslim youths with a Hindu woman led some members of a right-wing organisation to reach the restaurant, where they disrupted the party, raised slogans, and accused the youths of “love jihad”, PTI reported, citing police officials.Also read: No fuel without PUCC, non-BS6 vehicles barred: What the permanent GRAP curbs mean for DelhiitesAs police received information of the incident, the group was rounded up to the police station for questioning. One Muslim youth was reportedly taken into custody, while the other managed to escape. However, no action was taken against the right-wing group members who were advised to disperse, TOI reported.Station House Officer Raj Bali said the student who was celebrating her birthday with the group resides in a hostel in Prem Nagar and is pursuing BSc Nursing from a private college. "She had organised a birthday party for her friends. On receiving information, we called her relatives, including her aunt who lives in Prem Nagar, and also informed the families of the others present," Bali was quoted as saying.Police issued a challan for breach of peace against cafe staffer Shailendra Gangwar, and two Muslim youth--Shan and Waqif who had initially fled the scene.