British Hindu men brutally attacked in London after being asked their origin; Tory MP calls it ‘religious hatred’

On May 30, three British Hindu men were brutally beaten in an unprovoked assault by three older men, who seemingly were Muslims when they told they were Indian, Sri Lankan upon being asked their ethnicity in London park, further leaving two victims unconscious and all three with facial fractures, cuts and bruises, Times Of India reported. While discussing the case in the House of Commons on Thursday, Tory MP Bob Blackman called it as “religious hatred", the report added.

What exactly happened?

The friends, aged 20-21, reportedly went to Harrow Recreation Ground to play cricket. The report said around 6 pm, the three men passed a café where a group of about eight people, believed to be a Muslim family (some women were wearing hijabs) were seated. One of the men from the café confronted the three, asking why they were looking at his family. They replied that they were looking at friends playing cricket instead of his family.

The situation was defused by three men as the two from the other side appeared to acknowledge their answer. They sat on a bench after returning to park. After 30 minutes, a man in mid 20s, asked them, “Where are you from? Are you Sri Lankan? Are you Indian?” One of the Sri-Lankan men responded, “Yes, we are.” They were kicked, punched, according to a sister of British Indian Gujarati Hindu man.

British Hindu man's sister reacts

“My brother was wearing a sacred thread from a mandir on his wrist,” his sister told TOI. The alleged attacker was in Moroccan football t-shirt with the number 2 and the word “Hakimi” written on it.

“My brother is struggling. He feels as if people are looking at him and is ashamed to step out of the house. He has never in a flight before. He has just done his first year exams and was meant to resume his two-week clinical placement the week after the attack and that has been put on hold, ” she stated, while saying that she was dissatisfied with police probe as it progressed as after two weeks later they had not checked CCTV footage.

The Met police told TOI that they were called to manage a “fight” and one was shifted to hospital “with a head injury” and there is currently no evidence to suggest the attack was racially motivated, and their inquiries are ongoing. No arrests have been made so far in connection with this incident.