Elderly Muslim Hawker Allegedly Assaulted, Robbed in UP’s Pratapgarh; Victim Says He Was Told to ‘Go to Pakistan’

Maqsood Ali, an elderly Muslim hawker in the Derwa area of Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district, was allegedly targeted in a violent communal attack on May 2. While returning home around 4 pm, Ali was stopped by a man identified as Manoj, who reportedly launched an unprovoked assault. According to the victim, the attacker used sticks and rods to inflict serious physical injuries and subjected him to a series of communal slurs. Ali alleged that the assailant pulled his beard, forcibly removed his skullcap, and told him to "go to Pakistan," threatening to "break his face" if he did not leave the area. The assault escalated into a robbery, with Ali claiming that the attacker looted approximately ₹10,000 from him. This money represented the earnings from his work as a hawker, leaving the elderly man in a precarious financial position. The attack only ended when a third party arrived at the scene, providing Ali with a window of opportunity to escape and flee back to his home. Following the incident, Ali approached the local police to lodge a formal complaint; however, he expresses deep frustration and helplessness, claiming that no action has been taken against the accused so far. Highlighting the vulnerability of his social and economic status, Ali questioned how a poor laborer is expected to balance the necessity of earning a living with the struggle of seeking justice in the face of such targeted violence.