Anti-Hindu prejudice on display; Muslim 'journalist' and several social media handles spread fake news to vilify Hindus and Kanwar Yatra
Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India 
2 August, 2026
Case Summary
An anti-Hindu fake news campaign was spread on social media, vilifying and tarnishing the sacred Kanwar Yatra after a video from Daurala in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, went viral. Several Muslim media personalities and outlets such as Muslim Voice Cell, Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair, and several other social media users falsely claimed that Hindu Kanwariyas had dragged policemen out of a police vehicle and torn their clothes. They further claimed that the Kanwariyas had brutally assaulted the policemen, portraying the incident as evidence of the collapse of law and order in Uttar Pradesh. These claims were widely circulated before any official clarification was issued by the Uttar Pradesh Police. Thereafter, Meerut Police released an official video debunking the viral claims, describing the circulating narrative as false and clarifying that no incident of Kanwariyas assaulting police personnel had occurred. Among those spreading and amplifying the false narrative was a Muslim-run account named Muslim Voice Cell, which claimed that after a motorcycle collision in Meerut's Daurala area, two policemen in plain clothes who had reached the spot were dragged out of a police vehicle by Kanwariyas, stripped, and mercilessly beaten. It further claimed that one policeman fled into a sugarcane field to save his life but was chased and assaulted with sticks, concluding that if even policemen were not safe from Kanwariyas, ordinary citizens could not expect protection. Similarly, a social media user, Piyush Raj, falsely claimed that policemen in plain clothes were "brutally assaulted by Kanwariyas" over suspicion of desecration and further stated that a police officer ran towards a sugarcane field to save his life but was cornered and mercilessly beaten with sticks. Another social media influencer named Mamata Tripathi circulated the viral video with the caption, "Jaldi aa jao sahab, yahan par jaldi aa jao… Bechara Uttar Pradesh Police ka sipahi apni jaan bachane ki guhaar laga raha hai… Police ka iqbal Kanwariyon dwara taar-taar hote dekhiye is video mein," ("Come quickly, sir, please come here quickly… The poor Uttar Pradesh Police constable Iqbal is pleading to save his life… Watch in this video how the authority and prestige of the Uttar Pradesh Police are being torn apart by Kanwariyas."). Through this post, the user reinforced the false impression that the individual seen in the footage was a Muslim police constable being attacked by Hindu Kanwariyas. Even Muslim propagandist 'journalist' and Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair also misleadingly amplified the incident by selectively quoting the initial police response while insinuating that the police had deliberately taken no action against the Kanwariyas. Referring to the preliminary police statement, he wrote: "Police response: Sab kuch shanti purvak tareeke se counselling karke Kanwariyon ko rawana kar diya... No police action because no written complaint filed by either party. Cute, no?" ("Police response: Everything was resolved peacefully through counselling, and the Kanwariyas were sent on their way... No police action because neither party filed a written complaint. Cute, isn't it?"). His post attempted to falsely portray that the Uttar Pradesh Police had deliberately shielded the Kanwariyas despite what he portrayed as an assault on police personnel. However, the official investigation by Meerut Police completely contradicted these viral claims. The police clarified that the incident was not an attack by Kanwariyas on police personnel but a clash between two groups of Kanwariyas following a motorcycle collision that damaged a Kanwar. The dispute arose between two groups of Kanwariyas when Sonu, son of Rajbir Yadav and a resident of Bihar, who was carrying a Kanwar along with his fellow pilgrim Guddu on their way to Haridwar, got into a scuffle with another group of Kanwariyas approaching from the opposite direction. The two individuals who were dragged from the police vehicle and beaten were Sonu and Guddu themselves, the Kanwariyas involved in the altercation, not policemen, as falsely portrayed on social media. Meerut Police further clarified that police personnel had intervened only to separate the fighting groups. Contrary to the viral claims, no police personnel were dragged from a vehicle, no police uniforms were torn, and the widely circulated narrative claiming that Kanwariyas had brutally assaulted policemen was entirely false. The police stated that after restoring order, both groups were counselled and dispersed. Subsequently, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against those responsible for the violence, and the vehicles involved in the collision were seized in accordance with the law. The authorities also cautioned the public against circulating misleading videos and false narratives capable of disturbing communal harmony and creating unnecessary panic. Despite these official clarifications, the false narrative continued to be amplified by Muslim Voice Cell, Mohammed Zubair, and several other social media users, who portrayed the incident as an attack by Kanwariyas on police personnel. Their posts omitted the subsequent police clarification and instead relied on an inaccurate interpretation of the viral video to malign the Kanwar Yatra and create the impression that Kanwariyas had violently assaulted law enforcement officials.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
In this case, the primary category selected is: Hate Speech against Hindus. Within this, the subcategory selected is: Anti-Hindu subversion and prejudice. The tertiary category selected is: Anti-Hindu Fake News or Downplaying. 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 role in perpetuating prejudicial attitudes towards a community owing to unfair, untrue coverage and/or misrepresentation/misinterpretation, selective coverage and/or omission of facts of/about 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, it 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 case has been included in the Hinduphobia Tracker because Muslim media personalities, Muslim-run social media platforms, and several other social media users deliberately spread false information that vilified the sacred Kanwar Yatra by portraying Hindu devotees as violent attackers of police personnel. This occurred despite the Uttar Pradesh Police officially clarifying that no such incident had occurred. Instead of correcting the misinformation after the facts emerged, these individuals and platforms continued to amplify the fabricated narrative. This ensured that a false and damaging portrayal of one of Hinduism's holiest pilgrimages reached a much wider audience. Their actions associated Hindu devotees with violence, lawlessness, and mob behaviour, thereby fostering prejudice against the Hindu community and maligning a revered Hindu religious observance. The Kanwar Yatra is one of Hinduism's most sacred annual pilgrimages, undertaken by millions of devotees as an act of devotion, penance, and worship of Lord Shiva. It is a deeply revered religious tradition and holds immense spiritual significance for Hindus across the world. Therefore, falsely portraying Kanwariyas as violent criminals did not merely misrepresent an isolated incident. It maligned an entire religious pilgrimage and encouraged the public to associate a sacred Hindu tradition with disorder, criminality, and violence. By portraying a revered Hindu observance through such a negative lens, the perpetrators reinforced harmful stereotypes about Hindu devotees and undermined the dignity of an important religious practice. A particularly significant aspect of this case is that Muslim media personalities, Muslim-run social media platforms, and several other social media users continued to amplify the false narrative even after the Uttar Pradesh Police categorically clarified that the viral claims were fabricated. The police established that the incident arose from an altercation between two groups of Kanwariyas following a motorcycle collision. The individuals dragged from the police vehicle were not police personnel but Sonu and Guddu, the devotees involved in the dispute. The police further clarified that no police officer had been assaulted, no police uniforms had been torn, and that police personnel had only intervened to separate the two groups and restore order. Despite these unequivocal findings, those responsible neither corrected nor withdrew their posts. Instead, they allowed the fabricated narrative to continue shaping public perception. The involvement of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair in amplifying the misleading narrative showcased a selective approach towards reporting an incident involving Hindu devotees. By highlighting only the initial police response while ignoring the subsequent official clarification that disproved the viral claims, his post reinforced a false and malicious portrayal of Kanwariyas as violent and lawless. Such selective amplification of unverified allegations concerning a sacred Hindu pilgrimage contributed to the creation of a negative perception of Hindu devotees and their religious practices. His actions reflected a disregard for the potential harm caused by spreading misinformation targeting a Hindu religious observance, as the narrative he promoted undermined the dignity of the Kanwar Yatra and portrayed Hindu worshippers through a prejudicial lens. By continuing to amplify a narrative that was contradicted by official findings, he contributed to the spread of anti-Hindu misinformation and the stigmatisation of the Hindu community and its faith. The continued amplification of the debunked claims after the official clarification demonstrated that the objective was not merely to inform the public but to preserve a narrative that cast Hindu devotees and the Kanwar Yatra in a negative light. Once the factual position had been established by the authorities, responsible reporting required the misinformation to be corrected or withdrawn. Instead, the official clarification was ignored, while the fabricated version continued to be circulated. This demonstrated a conscious preference for a false narrative that vilified a sacred Hindu pilgrimage over verified facts. It also ensured that the false allegation gained wider acceptance and continued to influence public opinion despite authoritative evidence to the contrary. The conduct in this case also reflected a broader pattern of hostility towards Hindu religious symbols and observances. Rather than treating the Kanwar Yatra as a protected expression of religious faith, the perpetrators used an unverified incident to malign an entire community of devotees. By reducing one of Hinduism's most revered pilgrimages to a symbol of lawlessness and mob violence through fabricated claims, they fostered prejudice against Hindus and stigmatised a sacred religious tradition. Their actions contributed to the spread of anti-Hindu misinformation and encouraged hostility towards Hindu religious practices and those who observed them. For these reasons, this current case is being documented in the Hate Crime Database of the Hinduphobia Tracker. Disclaimer: The perpetrator count has been recorded as 4, as the misleading anti-Hindu narrative was independently amplified by four identified accounts: Muslim Voice Cell, Mohammed Zubair, Piyush Raj, and Mamata Tripathi, each of whom published or amplified the false claim portraying Kanwariyas as having assaulted Uttar Pradesh police personnel despite the subsequent official clarification issued by Meerut Police. While this tracker has identified four individuals involved in amplifying the misleading narrative in this case, for documentation purposes, the perpetrator identity has been recorded as Muslim since the primary individuals responsible for spreading the false narrative have been identified as Muslim. The religious or ideological identity of two other individuals involved, Piyush Raj and Mamata, has not been independently verified at the time of documentation. However, as they were also involved in amplifying the misleading claims targeting the Hindu Kanwar Yatra, they have been included in the total perpetrator count of four. This approach ensures consistency in categorisation while acknowledging the involvement of all identified individuals responsible for spreading the misinformation.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
both
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