In this episode of News That Matters, we uncover a chilling story from Poud village in Pune, Maharashtra, where an unverified WhatsApp rumour alleging a Muslim man insulted Goddess Annapurna sparked a wave of Islamophobic action. Despite no evidence, Muslims faced economic and social boycott, mob surveillance, and open threats — all reportedly under the watch of the panchayat and silent approval of the administration. But this isn’t an isolated case. Across India — in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh — similar events point to a larger strategy of systematic marginalization of Muslims.