27 Muslims arrested after anti-Muslim violence during Hindu festival in Gujarat

Police in BJP-ruled Gujarat’s Surat have arrested 27 Muslims after Hindu extremist mobs unleashed anti-Muslim violence during a Hindu festival, leading to attacks on Muslim-owned shops, vehicles, and a mosque.

The mobs alleged that children aged between 8 and 12, whom they claimed were Dalits and Muslims, threw stones at an effigy during celebrations of a Hindu festival. According to local residents, the stones may have accidentally hit the effigy while the children were playing. However, the situation quickly escalated, with Hindu extremists calling for the demolition of Muslim homes in the area, and mobs targeting Muslim-owned shops, vehicles, and a nearby mosque. 

Police arrest school principal for deleting Hindu festival posts from WhatsApp group

Police in Rajasthan’s Kota have arrested the principal of a school for allegedly deleting posts about the Hindu festival of Ganesh Chaturthi from a group on WhatsApp.

The principal, a Muslim, allegedly deleted a message posted on the group by one of the residents on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. A similar message posted by a teacher around two hours later was also allegedly deleted by the principal.

Local residents, led by Hindu supremacist leaders, organized a protest seeking the principal’s arrest and removal from his post. 

Hindu extremists beat up truck driver, handyman over alleged cow smuggling

In Bihar’s Supaul, Hindu extremist cow vigilantes attacked and beat a truck driver and his handyman over accusations of “cow smuggling.” However, the victim was only taking the cows to sell at a local fair.

Hindu militant mobs regularly attack Muslims over baseless accusations of committing crimes. These mobs, also known as cow vigilantes, assault and often lynch Muslims accused of transporting cattle or consuming beef. 

Hindu extremists disrupt Christian prayer meeting over alleged forced conversion

In BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur, Hindu extremist group Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad members disrupted a Christian prayer meeting over baseless allegations that they were forcing Hindus to convert to Christianity.

Attacks on Christians have become common under several Indian states’ draconian anti-conversion laws, which criminalize conversion away from Hinduism.