Devotees returning from Ganesh Visarjan attacked by Muslim mob
East Delhi, Delhi, India 
15 September, 2024
Case Summary
Hindu devotees returning from Ganesh Visarjan in Delhi's Trilokpuri area were attacked by Muslims. The incident left two young men injured, and an eyewitness reported that the attackers were armed and misbehaved with women during the assault. The situation created tension in the area as devotees were targeted after the religious procession. Following the attack, the Mayur Vihar police station registered a case under the relevant sections of the law. Two suspects were detained for their involvement in the incident. However, the police indicated that there was no communal angle to the attack. The police further claimed that the fight was a result of 'old enmity' between the groups. Based on CCTV footage, all individuals involved in the altercation during the Ganesh Visarjan procession in Delhi’s Trilokpuri area were identified and apprehended. An FIR was filed under sections 191(2), 191(3), and 115(2) of BNS, and a total of nine people were arrested.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the primary category 'attack not resulting in death'. The first sub-category this case is being added to is 'attack against Hindu devotees'. Hindu devotees are a few of the easiest targets of religiously motivated hate crimes because during the festival/procession/puja etc, for non-Hindus it is easy to profile their victims on the basis of religion. Hindu devotees come under attack on several occasions by individual non-Hindus or mobs of non-Hindus owing to their animosity against Hinduism, its symbols and tradition/practices. There are several instances of Hindu devotees being attacked while they worship in temples or temporary religious structures, during religious processions, doing bhajan/kirtan/puja in their own homes, in the residential society etc. These attacks are perpetrated by non-Hindus primarily because of their animosity towards Hindus and their faith. In some cases, the trigger for the violence may be non-religious, however, there are two elements that make these hate crimes. First, the Hindus who come under attack are attacked violently while indulging in religious activity. Whether they are in a place of worship or not is immaterial to the crime. When individuals are attacked while indulging in religious practices, the attack in itself is a hindrance to their freedom to practice religion and therefore constitutes a hate crime. Secondly, religious supremacist doctrines and ideologies deem religious practices of Hindus to be offensive ab initio since they are considered “sinful” by these ideologies, worthy to be annihilated by force or coercion. Driven by these religious supremacist ideologies and doctrines, the attacks against Hindu devotees stem from intrinsic animosity towards Hinduism. In some cases, the trigger for the violence may be non-religious, however, it develops into a religiously motivated crime during the course of the violence. Since these attacks stem from animosity towards Hindus and Hinduism, they are considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. The second sub-category the case is being added to 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. In this case, the Hindu devotees returning from idol immersion in a religious procession, were attacked by a Muslim mob. The mob was armed with sticks and weapons. According to eyewitnesses, they attacked and misbehaved with woman as well. Hindu devotees who are a part of a religious procession are easy to identity by Muslim extremists and are often attacked for their religious identity and beliefs. In this case as well, the Hindu devotees a part of a religious procession came under attack by Muslim extremists. Hindus, attacked while they are expressing their Hindu religious identity being attacked is a result of religious animosity and therefore, a religiously motivated hate crime. The police claimed that there was 'no communal angle'. The police, in many such cases, where the motive behind the crime is obvious but not explicitly mentioned, deny that the crime committed was in any way motivated by a religious bias or say that there was ‘no communal angle’ to the crime. Several factors are generally at play here. Many a time the police downplay incidents of low-level communal crime because it is their jurisdiction that comes under question. The police also often say that there was ‘no communal angle’ to a crime when there was one because they wish to ensure that owing to the crime already committed, there is no further flare up in the area. Likewise, the Left media and the leftist elite are also inclined to emphasise this "no communal angle" trope, especially wherever the victim of the crime is a Hindu. However, only a police statement or a media report, for instance, cannot be enough to determine whether there is a communal angle present in the crime that has been committed. In fact, to determine whether the crime is communal in nature or not, we need to give emphasis to the ground realities. For example in the case of Rinku Sharma, the Bajrang Dal activist who was mercilessly stabbed in his house in front of his family members in Delhi’s Mangolpuri area in the year 2021, the leftist media and the leftist ecosystem had tried to peddle that there was no communal angle to the crime. Even the police denied that the crime was communal in nature. However, Opindia spoke to several people who are on the ground with the family of Rinku Sharma and we were told that the communal tension in the area is palpable. The family of Rinku Sharma has said that the Muslims of the area held a grudge against Rinku ever since he celebrated the Ram Mandir verdict. Like the case of Rinku Sharma, those cases where even if the police have denied a communal angle or the leftist media have gone on an overdrive to peddle the ‘no communal angle’ trope, the ground reality, like the victim’s family, relative's testimonies or eyewitness accounts, make it clear that there was an obvious religious bias that led to the crime, will be documented in this tracker. In this case, the police claimed that the attack was a result of 'old enmity'. It is pertinent to understand that the existence of old enmity does not negate religious motivations. The old enmity itself can be driven by religious motivations. If, for a moment, it is assumed that the old enmity was because of other, non-religious reasons, even then, the trigger of the enmity is irrelevant if it escalates to an attack on religious procession and Hindu devotees, providing an irrefutable marker of religious hostility being a part of the enmity. For that reason, this case is being added to the hate crime database.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 5 to 10
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
