Muslim mob attacks Ganesh procession, Congress’ Md Sharif threatens Hindus, police books VHP leader while mainstream media omits Sharif's remarks
Mandya, Karnataka, India 
15 September, 2024
Case Summary
In Karnataka, communal tensions escalated after an Islamist mob attacked a Ganpati Visarjan procession in Nagamangala, Mandya district. The mob pelted stones, hurled petrol bombs, and vandalized Hindu shops during the festival. In response, members of Hindu organizations, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, staged protests across Karnataka, demanding action against the attackers. Tensions heightened after a provocative social media post from former Bantwal Town Municipal Council (TMC) President Mohammed Sharif challenged Hindu activists and VHP leader Sharan Pumpwell, daring them to confront a Muslim procession. Sharif’s audio message sparked further unrest, especially at BC Road in Dakshina Kannada, where many Hindu activists gathered on September 16th to protest his remarks. Chanting "Jai Shri Ram," they demanded Sharif’s arrest for inciting communal tensions. The police, including Rapid Action Force (RAF), were deployed to control the situation. Despite the deployment, tensions remained high, with both sides standing firm. An FIR was registered against VHP leader Sharan Pumpwell and Bajrang Dal leader Puneet Attavar for alleged provocative statements about the Eid Milad procession. Pumpwell, in his speech, condemned the attack on the Ganpati Visarjan and warned of retaliation if Islamist attacks on Hindu festivals continued. He responded to Sharif’s challenge, stating that Hindu activists were ready to face any challenge. Pumpwell also questioned what would happen if Hindus retaliated in a similar manner. Media reports largely focused on Pumpwell’s remarks, while some omitted Sharif’s provocative comments, which had triggered outrage among the Hindu community.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under two of its prime categories. The first is- Attack not resulting in death. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Attack on religious procession- The outward celebration and display of religious symbols in an intrinsic part of Hinduism. Religious processions on various festivals are age-old traditions and a way to manifest faith and form a part of the religious practices of Hindus. On several occasions, such religious processions come under attack by non-Hindu mobs, in a manifestation of their animosity towards Hinduism and their practices. The reasons cited for such violent attacks are many and range from crossing a non-Hindu resident-dominated area to playing loud music, crossing from an area where there is a religious structure of another faith etc. The violent attacks are triggered by the outward display of religiosity by Hindus. The attacks are mainly a manifestation of religious supremacist doctrine which believes that idolatry, essentially the Hindu faith, is one that deserves to be annihilated since the very tenets of Hinduism, its practices and traditions are considered a sin in those doctrines. Since these attacks emanate from intrinsic and doctrinal animosity towards Hindus and Hinduism, it is considered a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. The second prime category selected here is- Hate speech against Hindus and within this, the sub-category selected is- Media bias- and 'Anti-Hindu fake news or downplaying' has been chosen as the tertiary category under this. Media Bias: Hate speech is defined as any speech, gesture, conduct, writing, or display that is prejudicial against a specific individual and/or group of people, which is leading to or may lead to violence, prejudicial action or hate against that individual and/or group. Media plays a specific and overarching reach in perpetuating prejudicial attitudes towards a community owing to unfair, untrue coverage and/or misrepresentation/misinterpretation, selective coverage and/or omission of facts of/pertaining to issues affecting a specific religious group. This type of bias can dehumanise the victim group, making it easier for others to justify harmful actions against them, which aligns with the objectives of hate speech laws aimed at preventing such harm. It is often observed that the media takes a prejudicial stand against the Hindu community driven by their need to shield the aggressor community which happens to be a numeric minority, however, is the one perpetrating violence against Hindus. For example, the media is often quick to contextualise religiously motivated crimes against Hindus, omit or misrepresent facts that point towards religiously motivated hate crimes, justify and/or downplay religiously motivated hate crimes or simply present fake news to stereotype Hindus. Such media bias leads to the denial of persecution and is often used to dehumanise Hindus, leading to justification for violence against them. For example, the media covered several fake allegations of Hindus targeting Muslims and forcing them to chant Jai Shree Ram. Most of these cases were proved false and fabricated after police investigation. These fake news reports were subsequently never retracted or clarified. Such fake news led to the justification of violence and dehumanisation of Hindus based on the argument that since Hindus targeted Muslims and forced them to chant Jai Shree Ram, the dehumanisation of Hindus and violence against them was par for the course and merely a retaliation. Such media bias leads to prejudicial portrayal of Hindus and offers a justification for violence against them and therefore, is considered hate speech under this category. This incident qualifies as a religiously motivated hate crime for more than one reason. First, in this instance, the Islamist mob launched a vicious attack on a religious procession taken out by Hindu devotees to commemorate Lord Ganpati, one of the most revered gods in Hinduism. The procession was attacked with stones and bombs. Notably, there was no provocation from the Hindu side. Since bombs and stones were hurled it becomes obvious that the attack was premeditated and carefully planned. The use of such weapons requires preparation, acquisition of materials, and coordination among participants, all of which suggest a deliberate and organised effort rather than a spontaneous act of violence. The unwarranted attack reflects a deliberate act of hostility against a religious event that holds significant importance to Hindus. Such actions stem out of hatred against Hindus and their faith and would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. Secondly, media bias exacerbated the issue by selectively reporting the events, attempting to shift the narrative. Many reports focused disproportionately on the response of Hindu leaders like Sharan Pumpwell, portraying Hindu activists as aggressors while downplaying or omitting the provocations and violence initiated by the Islamist mob and Mohammed Sharif's inflammatory remarks. This biased representation not only mischaracterised the events but also served to shield the actions of the Muslim attackers, contributing to the communal tensions. Such selective reporting reflects a broader pattern of Muslim appeasement and animosity toward Hindus and their faith, further making this case worthy of being documented here.
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
