Islamists falsely claim Hindus attacked a mosque during Holi; police refutes the claim
Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, India 
12 March, 2025
Case Summary
On Holi, a video from Rajapur town in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, went viral on social media, showing a group of Hindus carrying what appeared to be a tree trunk towards the gate of a mosque. Islamists quickly seized on the video to claim that an “extremist Hindutva mob” had attacked the mosque amid Holi celebrations. The video was widely shared by several Islamist influencers and platforms, including AltNews co-founder Mohammad Zubair. Zubair claimed that a “Hindutva mob” had deliberately attempted to break into the mosque’s premises by repeatedly ramming a tree trunk against the gate, despite police trying to stop them. He accused the national media of ignoring such incidents or justifying them. Soon, Islamist voices on social media amplified this claim, alleging that Muslims were being targeted and victimised, with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also claiming that the attack happened in the presence of the police, implying their complicity. Leftist media outlets such as Maktoob Media and Observer Post, too, followed suit. However, these claims were quickly refuted by the Ratnagiri Police and local sources. The police clarified that the viral video was misleading and that the event in question was actually part of a traditional Konkan ritual called Madachi Miravnuk, which has been practised for generations. This ritual, celebrated during Holi, involves a ceremonial procession in which a large wooden log (the Madi) is carried and briefly brought near the entrance of religious structures as part of the traditional festivities. According to a report by The Hindu, the incident took place around 7:30 p.m. in the Jawahar Chowk area of the village. The police, contradicting Zubair and Owaisi’s claims, stated that the event was a cultural ritual and denied any allegations that a Hindu mob had attacked the mosque. They further noted that although some in the crowd and police tried to manage the movement, there was no law and order disruption. The police did, however, register a case under Section 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act for unlawful assembly. The authorities also pointed out that the misleading narrative gained traction after a “false and misleading” video was circulated online, which has since been removed. Despite this, Islamist groups and influencers continued to spread the false claim that Hindus had attacked a mosque during Holi, painting it as an act of violence against Muslims.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category- Hate speech against Hindus. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Anti Hindu subversion and prejudice and 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 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. The false portrayal of a traditional Hindu ritual as an attack on a mosque demonstrates a deliberate attempt to vilify Hindus and create communal tensions. The viral video, which showed Hindus participating in the traditional Madachi Miravnuk ritual during Holi in Rajapur, Maharashtra, was misrepresented by Islamist influencers and media outlets as an extremist attack on a mosque. Mohammad Zubair, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, and leftist media platforms like Maktoob Media knowingly distorted facts to push a narrative of Hindu aggression and Muslim victimhood. The police and local authorities immediately refuted these allegations, clarifying that the event was a long-standing cultural tradition and not an act of violence. However, despite official clarification, the false claim continued to be circulated, exposing a coordinated effort to spread anti-Hindu propaganda. Such misrepresentation of Hindu customs serves a malicious agenda, where routine Hindu religious practices are framed as acts of communal violence to fuel anti-Hindu bias and global Islamophobia narratives. This pattern of selective outrage and misinformation not only endangers Hindus by falsely painting them as aggressors but also sows division between communities. By ignoring facts and amplifying false allegations, Islamist propagandists and biased media outlets are perpetuating a religiously motivated hate crime, targeting Hindus through defamation and media manipulation.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
N/A
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
