Gurugram: The members of a Muslim family were mercilessly beaten with iron rods and hockey sticks, and their house was pelted with stones by a mob of over 40 men in Bhondsi, Gurugram, on Thursday.

While the police claimed that the “brawl” was triggered over a game of cricket on Holi, the victim family said it was a planned attack by a group of people backed by a Hindutva outfit.

The police have arrested six people for the attack and booked them for attempt to murder.

A video of the brutal assault shared on social media shows around 10 men attacking the family’s male members with rods and sticks in the verandah of their home even as a woman prays for them to stop, her cries filling the air.

The men continued beating one man, seen bleeding from his head, till he fell unconscious. Another man was seen lying motionless in the corner, but even that did not stop the mob from raining blows on him.

Police said the incident took place around 5pm. One of the victims, Shahid, told the cops in his statement that six to seven drunk men had asked his family members not to play cricket on the street outside their house in Bhup Singh Nagar.

When they continued to play cricket, the men were joined by over 40 youths who attacked the family with batons, iron rods, hockey sticks, and water pipes, the cops said.

In a bid to save themselves, the victims rushed into their house but some of the attackers managed to barge in and beat them. The ones who couldn’t enter threw stones at the house.

The victim family alleged the police took about 40 minutes to come to their rescue, though they kept calling on the help number. By then, the attackers had escaped, they said.

"We have registered a case of attempt to murder and other relevant sections against the attackers at Bhondsi Police station. We have arrested six goons and efforts are on to identify others with the help of the video," ACP Shamsher Singh said.

Himanshu Garg, DCP south Gurugram: We are constantly in touch with the victims, we have enhanced the police presence in the area; there is no need to fear. I would like to make an appeal to the people living in that area to live peacefully and maintain harmony. #Haryana pic.twitter.com/ITP0BW3GZw — ANI (@ANI) March 23, 2019

Politicians cutting across party lines have taken to Twitter to blast out on the BJP government led by CM Manohar Lal Khattar for the ghastly incident. Likening the BJP government to that of "Hitler's", Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was the first to post his criticism in two consecutive tweets on early Saturday.

हिट्लर भी सत्ता के लिए यही करता था। हिट्लर के गुंडे लोगों को पीटते थे, उनका ख़ून करते थे और पुलिस जिन्हें मारा, उन्हीं के ख़िलाफ़ केस करती थी।मोदी जी भी ये सत्ता के लिए करवा रहे हैं, हिट्लर के रास्ते चल रहे हैं। पर मोदी समर्थकों को दिखाई नहीं देता कि हमारा भारत किधर जा रहा है? https://t.co/egOHDZtSnO — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 23, 2019

भयावाह भीड़तंत्र भाजपा राज का पर्याय बन गई है। खट्टर सरकार के जंगल राज में हरियाणा की क़ानून व्यवस्था तार-तार हो गयी है। आम नागरिक भयभीत है व नफ़रत का माहौल है। ऐसी शर्मनाक दृश्य बताते है कि खट्टर राज में मानवता कितनी पिछड़ती जा रही है। https://t.co/5Rg7Wl8i1U — Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) March 23, 2019

गुरुग्राम में मोहम्मद साजिद और उनके परिवार पर जो गुज़री वो कल्पना से परे है। देश के भाईचारे को बिगाड़ने वाले नेता ये बात नहीं समझ रहे हैं कि नफ़रत ऐसा ज़हर है जो सब को ध्वस्त कर देगा। https://t.co/j27rLIqLyS — Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) March 23, 2019

We strongly condemn this atrocious act of violence against innocent Indians. @mlkhattar must ensure his govt. takes strict action against the perpetrators.Is this the 'new India' Modi wishes to create - filled with hate & violence? https://t.co/PgbWoVySyg — Congress (@INCIndia) March 23, 2019