Hindu religious procession disrupted, attacked and stone-pelted by Muslim mob in Jodhpur, Rajasthan
Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India 
26 March, 2026
Case Summary
In the Makarana locality of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, a Hindu religious procession was disrupted, attacked and stone-pelted by a Muslim mob. This occurred after Hindu devotees objected to Muslim men misbehaving and abusing Hindu women, who were participating in the procession. The incident occurred on the evening of 27 March 2026, during the Gangaur procession associated with the Gangaur festival, specifically the ‘Phagad Ghudla’ fair. The religious procession, which included women, families, and tractors carrying participants in traditional attire, was moving through the inner city when three Muslim youths, who were intoxicated, riding a motorcycle, forced their way into the procession. When people in the procession objected and tried to stop them, an argument broke out. Residents stated that the Muslims then rammed their motorcycle into one of the tractors, which further escalated the situation. The Muslim youths also misbehaved and abused Hindu women, who were present in the procession. The situation quickly deteriorated as the Muslim youths returned with more people from their community. Subsequently, the Muslim mob began stone-pelting on the Hindu devotees, including from nearby rooftops and buildings, triggering panic and a stampede-like situation among participants. During the violence, Hindu women in the procession were subjected to harassment, and several vehicles parked in the vicinity were vandalised, including the smashing of an autorickshaw’s front glass and damage to other vehicles and public property. The sudden outbreak of stone-pelting disrupted the religious event, forcing participants to flee for safety as chaos spread through the area. Eyewitness accounts and local residents stated that the escalation stemmed from the initial collision and confrontation, which rapidly transformed into a broader group clash involving multiple individuals. The incident also caused alarm among bystanders, including foreign nationals present in the vicinity at the time. A heavy police force was deployed after authorities received information about the disturbance, and senior officials, including Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Manish Choudhary and IPS officer Prateek Singh, reached the scene to manage the situation. Police personnel engaged in crowd control measures and worked to pacify tensions, eventually bringing the situation under control after several hours of effort. Four accused individuals were detained, and an FIR process was initiated based on complaints by the Hindu devotees. The police maintained a presence in the area until late at night to ensure that the situation remained stable. At the same time, investigations, including examination of CCTV footage, were undertaken to identify all those involved and determine the sequence of events.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case is added to the Hinduphobia Tracker under the primary category - Attack not resulting in death. Within it, the sub-category selected is - Attack for Hindu identity. In several cases, Hindus are attacked merely for their Hindu identity without any perceived provocation. A classic example of this category of religiously motivated hate crime is a murder in 2016. 7 ISIS terrorists were convicted for shooting a school principal in Kanpur because they got ‘triggered’ seeing the Kalava on his wrist and tilak that he had put. In this, the Hindu victim had offered no provocation except for his Hindu religious identity. The motivation for the murder was purely religious, driven by religious supremacy. Such cases where Hindus are targeted merely for their religious identity would be documented as a hate crime under this category. The other sub-category selected here is - Attacked for opposing radicals or trying to save victim. In several cases, Hindus are attacked for opposing religiously motivated crimes being committed against a fellow Hindu or simply for voicing an opinion opposing radical elements, who either have in the past or continue to persecute Hindus. In such cases, the initial attack against the victim, against which the Hindu was trying to defend the victim, would also need to be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime. Since the initial crime itself was religiously motivated and the subsequent crime of attempting to save the victim or speaking against the radical elements ends up inviting a violent attack, it would also be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. The other sub-category selected here is - Attack on religious procession. The outward celebration and display of religious symbols is 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 its 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, 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 other subcategory 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 based on 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, two elements 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 other subcategory selected is- Communal Clash/Attack. Communal clash is a form of collective violence involving conflicts between groups with different religious identities. For a communal clash between Hindus and non-Hindus to qualify as a religiously motivated hate crime, the trigger of the violence itself would have to be anti-Hindu in essence. For example, if there is a Hindu religious procession that comes under attack from a non-Hindu mob and after the initial attack, Hindus retaliate in self-defence, leading to a communal clash between the two religious communities. While at a later stage, both communities are involved in the clash/violence, the initial trigger of the violence was by the non-Hindu mob against the Hindus, and therefore, it could safely be termed as an anti-Hindu violence. Further, the trigger would also have to be religiously motivated. In the cited example, the attack by the non-Hindu mob was against religious processions and therefore can be concluded to be religiously motivated. In some cases, the trigger may be non-religious; however, it develops into religious violence against Hindus at a later stage. In such cases, too, the foundational animosity towards Hindus becomes the motivating factor of the crime, and therefore, it would be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime against Hindus under this category. This case constituted a clear instance of a religiously motivated hate crime, as Hindu devotees, participating in the Gangaur procession, were attacked and stone-pelted by a Muslim mob. The violence unfolded during an ongoing religious celebration, where Hindu women and families had assembled to collectively and peacefully express their faith through a traditional and culturally significant procession. The Gangaur procession is a deeply significant religious and cultural observance in Rajasthan, particularly among Hindu women, who celebrate it in devotion to Goddess Gauri, a manifestation of Parvati symbolising marital harmony, fertility, and prosperity. The procession typically involves women dressed in traditional attire carrying idols of Gauri and Isar (Lord Shiva), accompanied by songs, rituals, and community participation that reflect centuries-old traditions and collective expressions of faith. It is not merely a festive gathering but a sacred public affirmation of Hindu religious identity, where devotion is practised openly through rituals, music, and symbolic representation. Therefore, any disruption or attack on a Gangaur procession goes beyond a physical disturbance; it directly targets a core religious practice and the sentiments attached to it. Interfering with or attacking such a procession undermines the community’s ability to freely practise its faith, making it not just an act of disorder but an affront to the religious beliefs, dignity, and cultural continuity of Hindus. The sequence of events demonstrated that the trigger for the violence began when three Muslim youths, in an inebriated state, attempted to forcibly enter the Gangaur procession and rammed their vehicle into the ongoing religious gathering. This act constituted a direct and deliberate intrusion into a sacred and culturally significant activity. The situation further escalated when the Muslim youths misbehaved with and abused Hindu women participating in the procession. Their conduct demonstrated a conscious attempt to disrupt the religious event rather than an accidental or isolated act. When devotees objected to this behaviour, the confrontation quickly escalated, and they called members of their own community, who then stone-pelted and attacked the Hindu devotees. Such actions were not confined to a personal dispute but reflected a deeper pattern of hostility, rooted in religious animosity towards the Hindu procession, its participants and the outward expressions of Hindu identity. Furthermore, the subsequent acts of stone-pelting, including those from elevated positions such as rooftops, pointed towards a pattern of targeted violence directed at the procession. The attack created panic among devotees, forced them to flee, and brought the religious event to an abrupt halt. By attacking Hindu devotees engaged in sacred rituals, the Muslim mob sought to instil fear and discourage future public observance. Such attacks are designed not only to harm individuals but to send a community-wide message that Hindu religious observance can be disrupted at will and that even a small pretext can be used to justify violence. Such acts of aggression against Hindu devotees engaged in religious worship underline a growing pattern of intolerance and hostility towards public expressions of Hindu faith. The targeting of devotees, identifiable by their participation in a religious ritual, demonstrated that the violence was directed not at individuals randomly but at Hindus practising their faith collectively. The incident was designed to instil fear, disrupt Hindu religious life, and assert communal dominance in public spaces. The reported harassment of women during the incident further aggravated the gravity of the offence. Women participating in the procession occupy a central role in Gangaur celebrations, and targeting them during such an event reflected not only gendered misconduct but also an attack on the dignity and sanctity of the religious gathering itself. The combination of harassment and violence reinforced the perception of deliberate targeting rather than an accidental or isolated altercation. This incident represented an overall communal attack against Hindus, their procession, and their faith, driven by unmistakable religious animosity. Such actions were rooted in religious animosity and were designed to shatter Hindu traditions and impose Islamic dominance. Far from a random clash, it systematically targeted a religious gathering, striking at Hindu religious life and showcasing an intent to intimidate and marginalise the community through organised aggression. Taken together, the targeting of devotees during an ongoing religious procession, the escalation into coordinated stone-pelting, the harassment of women, and the resulting disruption of a traditional Hindu festival established a clear pattern of hostility directed at a specific religious community. The incident, therefore, qualified as a religiously motivated hate crime, as it infringed upon both the physical safety of the Hindu devotees and their right to practise and openly express their faith.
Case Status
Case sub-judice
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
