'Hindu Rashtra' banner burnt during Muharram Procession in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh
Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, India 
5 July, 2025
Case Summary
Muslims participating in a Muharram procession in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, burnt a banner carrying the words ‘Hindu Rashtra’, triggering widespread anger among the Hindu community. The incident occurred near Masjid Chauraha, roughly 20 kilometres from the district headquarters, and quickly escalated into a matter of communal concern. A video that went viral on social media showed Muslim youths performing fire-spitting stunts during the procession. They can be seen turning toward the 'Hindu Rashtra' banner and releasing a stream of fire in its direction, igniting it. The deliberate nature of the act provoked strong reactions from Hindu residents and organisations, who viewed it as a targeted insult to their national and religious identity. In response, local Hindu groups enforced a bandh on July 7 and held a protest by reciting the Sunderkand, a devotional hymn from the Ramayana, at a main junction in the town. Police personnel, including SDOP Neelam Baghel and Station House Officer Surendra Gadaria, were deployed in large numbers to maintain order and prevent further escalation. Assistant Superintendent of Police Rakesh Khakha confirmed that four individuals had been arrested on charges related to disturbing communal harmony.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The primary category in this case is: Attack on Hindu religious representation. The secondary category under this is: Desecration of Hindu religious symbol. Icons and symbols or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal are widely revered in Hinduism. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations, is driven by animosity towards the faith itself which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. This case qualifies as a religiously motivated hate crime due to the intentional desecration of a Hindu religious symbol, the 'Hindu Rashtra' banner, during a public Islamic religious procession. The act was not incidental or accidental. Rather, it was deliberate, performative, and directed, using fire as a method of symbolic erasure during a religious gathering. Locals confirmed that the Muslim man deliberately turned his face toward the 'Hindu Rashtra' banner and released a stream of fire in its direction, igniting it. Further, the fact that arrests were made by the police further confirms that the act was not a mistake but a deliberate act of desecration done with an intention to insult and provoke the Hindus. Such actions are executed not simply out of momentary anger, but from a mindset that refuses to accept the legitimacy of Hindu cultural or nationalistic expressions. The banner, which carried the phrase ‘Hindu Rashtra’, was not merely a political slogan; it symbolised a Hindu worldview that many radical elements see as a challenge to their own religious and ideological supremacy. Such acts reflect deep-seated animosity not only towards a particular political phrase but towards the Hindu civilisational ethos that the phrase represents. Muharram, while traditionally a solemn observance of mourning in Islam, has in many areas taken on an aggressive public character through processions accompanied by weaponised displays and slogans. Hinduphobia Tracker has documented many such deliberate acts of aggression Muslims have carried out against Hindus and the religious symbols during this year's Muharram celebrations. In this context, the procession in Ratlam was exploited as an opportunity to assert religious dominance over the Hindu locality. The act of targeting the Hindu flag serves as a symbolic attack on the core of Hindu belief. It is important to highlight here that Muslim extremists harbour specific animosity towards Hindus and their faith, and also view India as a Hindu collectivity. This perception is rooted in the historical memory of Islamic rule over the Indian subcontinent, wherein regions that were once under Muslim control are viewed as Dar-ul-Islam—Islamic domains. For such Islamists, the public expression of Hindu identity, whether through festivals, symbols like the Om or Swastika, processions, or concepts such as 'Hindu Rashtra', is viewed not only as religious deviation but as a threat to Islamic dominance and hegemony. Consequently, any overt manifestation of Hindu collective identity is met with resistance, ridicule, and aggression. This enduring animosity toward Hindus, viewing their beliefs, spaces, and national identity as illegitimate, fuels such acts of symbolic aggression and targeted hostility, making them critical instances of religiously motivated hate that warrant documentation in the Hinduphobia Tracker. Disclaimer: Although a large number of Muslims participated in the procession, only four individuals were arrested by the police in connection with the incident. Accordingly, the number of accused has been recorded as four.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
