Sahal Qureshi, a senior journalist, was threatened and prevented from doing his job by a local police officer during a scuffle between two groups in the Danilimda area of Ahmedabad on the occasion of Ram Navami. The incident happened on 07 April, outside Peer Kamal Masjid.
The altercation between BJP and Congress workers, which began over the installation of party flags, escalated around 2 AM when BJP supporters gathered in front of Peer Kamal Masjid, chanting “Jai Shri Ram” slogans. Qureshi, who was on the ground to report on the situation, was allegedly subjected to intimidation by Police Inspector Rawat, who snatched the phone from Qureshi’s cameraman and forcibly turned off their equipment.
Qureshi, in a video report on his YouTube channel “Desh Live”, can be seen confronted by the police officer. Later, PI Rawat reportedly behaved improperly with Rais Sheikh, who arrived to support Sahal Qureshi.
Qureshi, who was among the first to arrive at the scene, recounts: “I received a call around 1 AM about a gathering of VHP and BJP volunteers chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ near Peer Kamal Masjid. Upon my arrival, I saw several police vehicles and officers already present. As I began interviewing the crowd, I was approached by an individual claiming to be the BJP in-charge of the area, who alleged that 500 Muslims had gathered against them. However, video footage clearly showed there were only around 20–30 individuals present. When I questioned the discrepancy, I was accused of favoring Muslims in my reporting.”
The situation took a darker turn when PI Rawat allegedly confronted Qureshi and his team.
“When I tried to interview the Muslims present at the scene, Rawat snatched the mobile phone from my cameraman, turned off our microphones and camera, and ordered us to leave the area. He even accused me of provoking the crowd and attempted to physically assault me. It was only after repeated requests and with the help of fellow journalist Rais Syed that my phone was finally returned,” Qureshi stated.
The veteran journalist says the incident is not an isolated one.
On the last Friday of Ramadan, Qureshi was covering protests outside several mosques, where people were seen wearing black bands following the All India Muslim Personal Law Board’s call to oppose the Waqf Bill. While reporting in the Danilimda area, Qureshi faced harassment from PI Rawat. As he tried to get information about the detained individuals, the officer allegedly forced him to insert his SD card into a computer at the police station. Qureshi refused, raising concerns about the safety of his footage and journalistic material.
Qureshi expressed his concerns in a post on X, questioning the actions of the police and their apparent bias: “The same police inspector who detains Muslims peacefully protesting with placards outside mosques on the last Friday of Ramzan (without blocking the road) refuses to take action against BJP workers who block roads and chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans in front of a mosque. And on top of that, journalists who are reporting the incident are threatened, with their phones and cameras being snatched. Is this the ‘Gujarat Model’? Is this PM Modi’s ‘New Idea of India’?”
