By Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — In a disturbing incident that has sent shockwaves across India, a video circulating on social media shows leaders of the Arunachal Pradesh Indigenous Youth Organisation (APIYO) aggressively confronting Muslim clerics and threatening to demolish what they claim is an “unauthorised” mosque in the Itanagar Capital Region (ICR). The footage, which first appeared online on Thursday (November 27) has sparked nationwide outrage, exposing a worrying rise in anti-Muslim sentiment in Northeast India.
The video depicts APIYO General Secretary Tapor Meying and President Taro Sonam Liyak at the contested mosque site. In a tense exchange, Liyak questions a maulana, asking: “Not every Muslim is a terrorist, but why is every terrorist a Muslim? This is the biggest question.” He further alleges that the Quran promotes killing “infidels” as part of jihad. The cleric, however, firmly rejects these claims, clarifying that Islamic scripture permits defensive struggle only, not offensive violence.
The situation escalates when Liyak attempts to coerce the maulana into chanting “Bharat Mata ki Jai,” asserting: “Do you people say ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’? If you cannot say it, how can you be true Indians?” The maulana’s refusal, citing that such a chant conflicts with Islamic monotheism, triggers threats from the APIYO leaders. Meying and Liyak then declare the mosque “illegal” and issue an ultimatum: “Remove it as soon as possible. Close it by the day after tomorrow.” Liyak adds a chilling warning: “You don’t say ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai,’ so there’s no place for you here. There will be no complaint about this incident.”
Liyak attempts to justify these actions by connecting the confrontation to the ongoing National Games in Arunachal, scheduled to conclude on December 2. “The infiltrators that Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma is driving out are all coming to our state,” he claims, linking the mosque to broader anxieties over migration from Bangladesh and alleged unauthorised religious constructions. He further threatens democratic measures such as strikes or bandhs if the government fails to act.
This episode is not an isolated incident but part of APIYO’s month-long campaign targeting Muslim religious sites, which they allege are illegal and linked to demographic changes caused by migration. On November 13, Liyak publicly demanded the removal of “infiltrators,” claiming they were erecting mosques and madrasas without oversight.
This story was originally published in clarionindia.net. Read the full story here.