A Muslim family traveling on the Rajdhani Express from Panvel to Kozhikode on 9 June has alleged that they were subjected to Islamophobic treatment by railway staff.
The complainant, who has asked to remain anonymous, said to MediaOne TV on Wednesday that the incident began when two members of railway staff asked her about her religion. After she confirmed that she was Muslim, the staff’s behavior towards her and her family became visibly different.
The complainant said that the staff members refused to provide them with a change of blanket, and that they were served stale and unsanitary food. She also alleged that the staff members tried to dissuade her from filing a formal complaint, saying that it would be “inconvenient” for them.
She said that the rest of the bogey she was travelling had received their breakfast except for them. Upon inquiry, the pantry staff responded by stating that their breakfast was delayed as it was “being specially prepared for them.” The complainant found that the breakfast they eventually received was stale and unfit for consumption.
It was when they got their lunch, which was also delayed, that confirmed their doubts that they were singled out in the bogey. Further examination of the food they received confirmed that it was seriously unclean. “The entire carriage looked at us when we opened the food. It smelt so bad,” she said.
A video captured by the Muslim woman during the incident reveals the unsanitary condition of the food provided, along with an informal interrogation of the railway staff conducted by the railway police.
Astonishingly, the staff member responsible for distributing the food admitted that it had been retrieved from the garbage.
The complainant then raises an important question, expressing, “What if we had suffered from severe food poisoning? It is true that we had vomited after we received our breakfast, but the damage could have been worse.”
The complainant’s allegations have sparked discussions about the importance of ensuring equal treatment and respect for passengers, regardless of their religious background.
