The West Bengal police on Friday said they had arrested two men "from a particular political party” for a video-taped assault in Durgapur in which a mob detained and forced to chant Jai Shri Ram two men transporting cattle.
“Two persons belonging to the minority community, while carrying cattle for farming purpose, were detained and severely beaten up yesterday in Durgapur by some hooligans belonging to a particular political party. A case has been registered over the incident and two of the miscreants have already been arrested. Raids are on to apprehend all those involved. None will be spared,” the Bengal police said on their social media, attaching a video of the assault.
In the video, the victims were seen being questioned aggressively with their hands tied with rope. The assailants could be seen accusing the men of cow smuggling and interrogating them about who had instructed them to sell the cattle. The two men kept denying any wrongdoing.
At one point, the attackers attempted to tie a rope around the neck of one of the victims. The mob also forced the victims to chant slogans of “Jai Shree Ram.”
“Nothing and no one will be allowed to dent our state's tradition of inclusivity and harmony. We always have, and always will, demonstrate zero tolerance for religious bigotry of any kind. Let that message be loud and clear,” the police wrote.