A 64-year-old Muslim taxi driver, Mohammad Rais, was allegedly harassed and coerced into chanting “Jai Shri Ram” by a group of young men at the Taj Mahal parking lot on Monday, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted a saffron flag at Ayodhya’s newly completed Ram Temple.
A disturbing video that rapidly went viral shows Rais, who ferries tourists for a living, looking terrified as the men surround his cab and repeatedly demand he utter the slogan.
When he refuses, the person recording – identified as Rohit – threatens, “Jai Shri Ram bolega tu, 2–3 din mein” (You will say Jai Shri Ram in two or three days).
The clip has sparked nationwide outrage, with social media users condemning it as yet another instance of Islamophobic bullying and the weaponisation of a devotional Hindu chant into a tool of intimidation against Muslims.
Human rights activists pointed out that elderly and working-class Muslims – cab drivers, vendors, and labourers – are increasingly targeted in such “loyalty tests,” especially in tourist-heavy Uttar Pradesh.
Agra Police responded after the video was flagged by journalists, stating that Tajganj police station and the Cyber Cell are investigating. “Necessary action will be taken,” an official said, though no arrests have been reported so far.
The incident fits a documented pattern of forced sloganeering that has surged in recent years, often going unpunished despite widespread documentation on social media. Critics argue such acts not only humiliate individuals but also normalise religious coercion in public spaces, particularly against vulnerable minority citizens.
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Source: Muslim Merror + Agencies Inputs
