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| India police officer threatened for saving Muslim man from mob | India police officer threatened for saving Muslim man from mob |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| An Indian police officer hailed as a hero for protecting a Muslim man from being lynched by a mob has begun receiving death threats, police say. | |
| Gagandeep Singh, an officer in the northern state of Uttarakhand, shot to fame after a video of him saving a Muslim man from a Hindu mob went viral on social media last week. | Gagandeep Singh, an officer in the northern state of Uttarakhand, shot to fame after a video of him saving a Muslim man from a Hindu mob went viral on social media last week. |
| The man was visiting a temple with his Hindu girlfriend. | The man was visiting a temple with his Hindu girlfriend. |
| The mob surrounded the man and tried to attack, accusing him of "love jihad". | The mob surrounded the man and tried to attack, accusing him of "love jihad". |
| The term has been popularised by radical Hindu fringe groups who accuse Muslim men of participating in a conspiracy to turn Hindu women from their religion by seducing them. | The term has been popularised by radical Hindu fringe groups who accuse Muslim men of participating in a conspiracy to turn Hindu women from their religion by seducing them. |
| When the video was first shared online, many called Mr Singh a "role model" for all Indians, and his story was carried in many mainstream Indian publications. | When the video was first shared online, many called Mr Singh a "role model" for all Indians, and his story was carried in many mainstream Indian publications. |
| "I was just doing my duty. Even if I was not in uniform, I would have done the same thing and every Indian should do the same," he was quoted as saying by local media. | "I was just doing my duty. Even if I was not in uniform, I would have done the same thing and every Indian should do the same," he was quoted as saying by local media. |
| However it did not take long for people to criticise Mr Singh's actions, accusing him of defending "indecent behaviour". | However it did not take long for people to criticise Mr Singh's actions, accusing him of defending "indecent behaviour". |
| Police officials working with him have said that he has received threats to his life, and has been sent on leave. | Police officials working with him have said that he has received threats to his life, and has been sent on leave. |
| Some government officials have also publicly justified the actions of the mob. | Some government officials have also publicly justified the actions of the mob. |
| "It's wrong when these people (Muslim men) bring Hindu girls to our places of worship despite knowing it's a temple and it's pious," Rakesh Nainwal, an MLA of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), told BBC Punjabi's Sunil Kataria. | "It's wrong when these people (Muslim men) bring Hindu girls to our places of worship despite knowing it's a temple and it's pious," Rakesh Nainwal, an MLA of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), told BBC Punjabi's Sunil Kataria. |
| Another BJP MLA Rajkumar Thukral told the ANI News Agency that this was an attempt by the man to hurt the feelings of the Hindu community. | Another BJP MLA Rajkumar Thukral told the ANI News Agency that this was an attempt by the man to hurt the feelings of the Hindu community. |
| "We don't go to mosques because we don't have the right to go there," he added. | "We don't go to mosques because we don't have the right to go there," he added. |
| "Then why did these men go to our temple with an intention to destroy the Hindu culture?" | "Then why did these men go to our temple with an intention to destroy the Hindu culture?" |
| But for some residents of Ramnagar district, where the incident took place, the turn of events has been disturbing. | But for some residents of Ramnagar district, where the incident took place, the turn of events has been disturbing. |
| "When a boy and a girl go somewhere together by choice, then how can these right-wing groups call it a case of "love jihad" and attack them?" Ajit Sahni, a resident of Ramnagar, told BBC Punjabi. | "When a boy and a girl go somewhere together by choice, then how can these right-wing groups call it a case of "love jihad" and attack them?" Ajit Sahni, a resident of Ramnagar, told BBC Punjabi. |