Hindus targeted with inflammatory speech and threats by Muslim participants in Muharram procession
Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India 
6 July, 2025
Case Summary
In Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, inflammatory speeches and threats were made to Hindus by Muslim youths during a Muharram procession. As per media reports, a video of the incident circulated widely on social media, showing Muslim youths in Pirauli town making provocative remarks and issuing threats to Hindus, stating, “We only need five minutes, not fifteen, to show you (Hindus) what we (Muslims) can do.” The individuals also declared, “We will say this in Gujarat.” A similar threat had previously been made by AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, who addressed Hindus, saying, “Dear Hindustan, we (Muslims) are 25 crore and you (Hindus) are 100 crore, right? Fine. You are far ahead of us in numbers. Remove the police for fifteen minutes, and we will see who is more powerful.” This was not merely a jibe but a direct threat of violence and provocation towards Hindus. During the event, Akbaruddin also made objectionable remarks about Hindu gods and goddesses. In this recent incident, those participating in the Muharram procession echoed similar statements, asserting that not fifteen, but just five minutes would be sufficient to demonstrate their power to Hindus. After the video of the Muharram remarks went viral on social media, the local Hindu residents were outraged. Protests erupted, with demands for action against those responsible. As the situation escalated, the police responded promptly and arrested three individuals: Jameel Ahmed, Sahil Ahmed, and Mujibul Islam alias Sheru. Following their arrest, all three were seen apologising with folded hands, a video of which also surfaced on social media. The police registered a case against approximately 100 unidentified individuals who were part of the procession. Authorities stated that strict action would be taken against anyone attempting to disturb the peace. Further legal proceedings in the case were ongoing.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Hate Speech against Hindus. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Violent Threats. Violent threats, explicit, implicit or implied, is the most dangerous form of hate speech since it goes beyond discriminatory and prejudicial language to express the intent of causing harm to an individual or a group of people based on their religious identity and faith. There could be several different kinds of threats that are issued to Hindus based on religious animosity. An explicit threat would mean the direct threat of violence towards an individual Hindu, a group of Hindus or Hindus at large. Physical violence, death threats, threats of destruction of property belonging to Hindus and threats of genocide would mean explicit threats against Hindus for their religious identity. Implicit threats may not be a direct threat but implied through the use of symbols of actions – for example – in the Nupur Sharma case, other than explicit threats, there were also implicit threats when Islamists took to the streets to burn and beat her effigies. It implies that they want to do the same to Nupur Sharma – thereby is considered an implicit threat. Violent threats can be delivered in person, through letters, phone calls, graffiti, or increasingly through social media and other online platforms. It would be important to understand that a threat – explicit or implicit, online or offline – to an individual who happens to be a Hindu does not qualify as a religiously motivated threat. Such a threat, while vile and dangerous, could be owing to non-religious reasons and/or personal animosity. To qualify as a religiously motivated threat, it would need to exhibit an indication that the individual is being targeted for religious reasons and/or owing to his/her religious identity as a Hindu. The incident in Gorakhpur during the Muharram procession is a clear example of hate speech directed against Hindus. In this case, the remarks made by the Muslim perpetrators went beyond mere provocation; they targeted the Hindu community. This was not just a threat; it was an open call for violence, echoing and escalating the infamous speech by AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, who had previously threatened mass violence against Hindus. Owaisi’s speech, in which he challenged Hindus by suggesting that Muslims needed only fifteen minutes without police intervention to prove their strength, was not just inflammatory but also deeply threatening. Such statements are not harmless rhetoric; rather, they carry an implicit threat of violence and serve to intimidate the Hindu community. Owaisi’s words were meant to incite communal tensions targeting the Hindu community. Such instances are a result of deep-rooted religious animosity towards Hindus and their faith. Such statements are not mere rhetoric. They carry the weight of genocidal intent, inciting Muslims to imagine and prepare for a scenario where Hindus can be openly attacked without consequence. The “five minutes” comment was a chilling invocation of that mindset, meant to embolden the mob and intimidate the Hindu community into silence and submission. This kind of speech doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It is part of a larger pattern of Islamist supremacist thinking, where Hindus are portrayed as enemies, and violence against them is framed as justified or even heroic. When such messages are delivered during a religious procession, in public, they serve as a tool to unify Muslims around a common enemy, Hindus, and implicitly call for organised violence or mass reprisals; hallmarks of genocidal incitement. Another point to consider is that the attack took place during Muharram. While it is observed by many Muslims as a solemn period of mourning, it has increasingly been misused by Muslim extremists as a cover to assert Islamic dominance and carry out a targeted religious attack against Hindus and their religious symbols. In various regions in the country, Muharram processions have witnessed incidents of stone pelting on temples, desecration of Hindu idols, forced extortion from Hindu households, and even violent physical assaults, all under the guise of religious observance. The Hinduphobia Tracker has documented multiple such incidents across several states this year alone, where the Islamic celebration of Muharram was exploited as a cover to launch coordinated attacks against Hindus, their places of worship, and their religious identity. Therefore, the timing of the crime further demonstrates that the incident was not spontaneous; rather, it was a premeditated effort to target the Hindu community and create a sense of fear in their hearts, thereby making it an instance of religiously motivated crime. Since this case meets multiple parameters of religiously motivated hate speech, it is being added to the hate crime database.
Case Status
Case sub-judice
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 10 to 100
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
