Hindus burning Pakistan flags to protest against the Hindu massacre in Pahalgam manhandled by West Bengal police
Ashoknagar Kalyangarh, West Bengal, India 
25 April, 2025
Case Summary
West Bengal police stopped Hindus from raising slogans against Pakistan and from burning the flag of the hostile nation that was responsible for the brutal massacre of Hindus in Pahalgam. The incident took place in Ashoknagar, West Bengal, where Hindus had gathered to express their anger and grief over the Pahalgam terror attack, in which Islamic terrorists, backed by Pakistan’s ecosystem of terror, slaughtered innocent Hindus purely for their religious identity. A video from the scene captured a police officer telling the protestors, "This is a sensitive area. You cannot do these here." Despite the peaceful nature of their protest, police intervened aggressively. A Hindu man confronting the police was seen being pushed, shoved, and manhandled by a police officer when he remarked, "Indian police wants to stop burning of Pakistan flag." The Ashoknagar police forcefully disrupted the gathering, preventing Hindus from voicing their outrage against the Pakistan-backed terrorists responsible for the Hindu massacre in Pahalgam. Nonetheless, undeterred by police aggression, the Hindus raised powerful slogans of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, refusing to let their spirit be crushed. The entire incident was caught on camera, exposing a disturbing pattern where the righteous anger of Hindus against a hostile nation like Pakistan is being suppressed even on Indian soil.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Attack not resulting in death. Within this, the sub-category selected is- Attacked for opposing radicals or trying to save victim. In several cases, Hindus are attacked for opposing religiously motivated crimes being committed against a fellow Hindu or simply for voicing an opinion opposing radical elements, who either have in the past or continue to persecute Hindus. In such cases, the initial attack against the victim, against which the Hindu was trying to defend the victim, would also need to be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime. Since the initial crime itself was religiously motivated and the subsequent crime of attempting to save the victim or speaking against the radical elements ends up inviting a violent attack, it would also be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. The behaviour of the West Bengal police at Ashoknagar, where they stopped Hindus from protesting and voicing their outrage at the brutal massacre of Hindus at Pahalgam, is a disquieting abuse of power and indicative of religious bias. The police not only barred the peaceful protesters from raising slogans against Pakistan, the country behind the barbaric attack, but also attacked a Hindu man who protested. By limiting the freedom of Hindus to peacefully express their outrage, particularly in the face of a terror attack on them because of their religious identity, the police behaviour can be interpreted as an act of discrimination and an effort to suppress Hindu outrage expression. The fact that these protesters were only attempting to raise their voices in outrage at the massacre of innocent Hindus and were forcibly denied to do so points to a trend where the members of the Hindu community are being suppressed in the name of upholding peace but in fact, it was a selective suppression of their religious expression. Moreover, by stopping Hindus from chanting anti-Pakistan slogans, the West Bengal police indirectly supported Islamists who hold transnational loyalties, particularly to Pakistan. It is pertinent to note that Muslim extremists harbour specific animosity towards Hindus and their faith and also view India as a Hindu collectivity. The very basis of the partition of India was that the Muslims believed that Islam was a nation unto itself, which could not survive with a Hindu collectivity like India. Further, Muslims often believe in transnational unity - or the Ummah - which is a belief that all Muslims across the world are a nation unto themselves and therefore, loyalty as far as the nation-state is concerned lies with the Muslim collectivity and not with a Hindu collectivity like India. This would also mean that the slogan Pakistan Zindabad is about hailing a Muslim collectivity and an expression of transnational loyalty and anti-Hindu sentiments. For that reason, any slogan which expresses transnational loyalty, faith in the Ummah, is automatically a slogan against Hindus and the Hindu collectivity. By restricting the protest, the police could be seen as endorsing the notion of religious or political loyalty that transcends national borders, which aligns with the stance of radical Muslims who prioritise transnational Muslim solidarity, particularly with Pakistan. Further, West Bengal's police decision was an infringement on the constitutional rights to freedom of assembly and expression, which are fundamental in India. The move is also seen as politically and religiously biased, given the West Bengal government's history of opposing organisations associated with the Hindu nationalist movement. From Hindus being arrested for chanting Jai Shri Ram slogans, to denying permissions for Hindu religious processions to her stoic silence whenever Hindus get attacked by Islamists in the state, there are several evidences to show that the Mamata Government in West Bengal has, in the past, passed umpteen prejudicial orders to clamp down on the religious rights of Hindus and show her affinity towards the Muslims in the state. Here too, in suppressing public outrage at Pakistan and its terror activities, the police action is part of a larger pattern of religious discrimination under which Hindu identity and expressions of resentment are suppressed, while radical elements' actions against Hindus are ignored or downplayed. Not only is this a violation of freedom of speech and assembly, but it is also a sign of a larger institutional bias that has been growing in the region. The state's strategy in addressing issues of an inter-community nature seems to privilege one religious community and downplay Hindu concerns, further fueling tensions and creating a culture of religious discrimination.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
State and Establishment
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
