Hindus celebrating Holi stone-pelted by Muslims, causes communal tensions in Maharashtra

Case ID : 90a0a80 | Location : Buldhana, Maharashtra, India | Date of Incident : Thu, 13 March, 2025

Case ID : 90a0a80

Buldhana, Maharashtra, India

13 March, 2025

Hindus celebrating Holi stone-pelted by Muslims, causes communal tensions in Maharashtra

Attack not resulting in death

Attacked for Hindu identity

Restriction/ban on Hindu practices

Restriction on expression of Hindu identity

Case Summary

In Awar village, Buldhana, Maharashtra, Hindus celebrating Holi and dancing to DJ music were attacked and pelted with stones by Muslims. According to media reports, Hindus were enjoying their Holi celebrations, dancing to DJ music when Muslims objected, leading to a minor verbal altercation. However, the dispute quickly escalated into a violent communal clash, resulting in stone-pelting and injuries to seven people. The police were informed, and a large number of officers, including the riot control squad, were deployed to contain the situation. Acting swiftly, the police registered an FIR against 36 individuals and detained 22 people. The situation was eventually brought under control. Given the seriousness of the incident, the administration has reinforced security in the area, deploying two teams of the SRPF and one team of the QRT. Buldhana Superintendent of Police, Vishwa Pansare, stated, “The situation between two groups became extremely tense over the playing of DJ music in Awar village of Khamgaon taluka. As soon as we received information about the incident, the police arrived immediately, and the QRT was also deployed. The situation is now under control. So far, we have detained 22 people, while an FIR has been registered against 36 individuals. Two people are seriously injured. We appeal to the public to maintain peace.”

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been categorised as a hate crime against Hindus in the Hinduphobia tracker under two primary categories, given the clear religious markers that establish its targeted nature The first is- Attack not resulting in death and within this, the sub-category selected is- Attacked 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 second category selected is- Restriction/ban on Hindu practices. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Restriction on expression of Hindu identity. An example of the state-affected prejudicial and targeted orders against the Hindu community would be a government denying the right of a Hindu or a group of Hindus to hold a religious procession owing to the animosity of non-Hindu groups. Denial of the religious right of the Hindus to assuage the non-Hindu group which harbours animosity to a point where it could lead to violence against Hindus is not only a failure of law and order but is a prejudicial order against Hindus, denying them their fundamental rights to express their religious identity. An example of a hate crime against Hindus by a non-Hindu would be a non-Hindu institution forcing its Hindu employees to abandon religious symbols that a Hindu would wear as an expression of faith owing to inherent prejudice against the faith professed by the victim or a non-Hindu group of people restricting a Hindu group from constructing a place of worship simply because the demography of the area in which the temple is being built is dominated by non-Hindus. Such actions are driven by religious animosity and/or prejudice against Hindus and their faith and would therefore be categorized as a hate crime. Here, the victims were attacked solely because they were Hindus engaging in preparations for Holi—a festival deeply rooted in Hindu tradition. The perpetrators did not simply oppose a public gathering but explicitly attacked the Hindu festival itself, reinforcing the religiously motivated nature of the crime. The stone pelting was not merely an act of physical violence but a direct attempt to curtail the religious and cultural rights of Hindus. Holi, a festival celebrated with joy and colour, symbolises the triumph of good over evil and is an integral part of Hindu religious and cultural identity. The attempt to disrupt Holi celebrations demonstrates an intent to create an environment where Hindus feel unsafe practising their faith—a clear marker of religious persecution. Given these aspects, this case has been added to the Hinduphobia tracker, as it exemplifies a deliberate attack on Hindu identity and an attempt to impose restrictions on Hindu religious practices through coercion and violence.