The Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy (IMSD), a pan-India organisation with its headquarters in the city, and self-explanatory name and aim, condemned in the strongest terms the brutal murder of Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur. The IMSD statement that has a number of signatories stated, “We cannot have sympathy for those extremist Muslims who espouse the ideals of the Taliban or ISIS, or those extremist Hindus who want to turn this country into a fascist Hindu rashtra.”

The IMSD reminded that years ago, there was an attack on a migrant Muslim worker, hacked to death on camera by one Shambhulal Raigar, too. It added, “Certain Muslim organisations are demanding and campaigning for blasphemy laws, which is a very regressive demand. We strongly oppose this demand by the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and other conservative Muslim organisations.” The signatories stated, “Incidents like Udaipur also send a chilling message to dissenters even within the Muslim community. Saad Ansari, 19, from Bhiwandi, who spoke his mind on the issue of blasphemy is a further case in point. The local Muslim community hounded him to no end, even physically attacked him, but we saw no condemnation from any Muslim organisation or individual.”