Muslim mob pelt stones on Ganesh Visarjan Yatra in Vadodara, break Lord Ganesha idol
Vadodara, Gujarat, India 
7 October, 2023
Case Summary
There was an incident of stone pelting during Ganesh Visarjan at Manjusar in Savli taluka of Vadodara. In this incident, some Hindus were injured and the idol of Lord Ganesha was also broken. In this case, the police registered an FIR against 18 people and the mob of the remaining 30 unidentified people. On the other hand, it was learned through reports that 5 stone-pelters were also arrested. The incident took place in Manjusar village of Savli. Videos of this incident have also surfaced on social media. In these videos, it was seen that miscreants wearing face masks threw stones from the roofs of the houses. Islamic posters were also put up in the building from where the stones were thrown.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
Distinct elements in this particular case demonstrate that the crime was committed while harbouring a bias against the Hindu faith. As per case details, there are two prime categories under which this case has been placed in the hate tracker, namely, 'attack not resulting in death' and 'attack on Hindu religious symbols'. To break down the case further, the sub-category 'attack on religious procession' has been selected under the first prime category while the sub-category 'desecration of Hindu religious symbol' has been chosen under the second prime category. Attack on religious procession: The outward celebration and display of religious symbols in an intrinsic part of Hinduism. Religious processions on various festivals are age-old traditions and a way to manifest faith and form a part of the religious practices of Hindus. On several occasions, such religious processions come under attack by non-Hindu mobs, in a manifestation of their animosity towards Hinduism and their practices. The reasons cited for such violent attacks are many and range from crossing a non-Hindu resident-dominated area to playing loud music, crossing from an area where there is a religious structure of another faith etc. The violent attacks are triggered by the outward display of religiosity by Hindus. The attacks are mainly a manifestation of religious supremacist doctrine which believes that idolatry, essentially the Hindu faith, is one that deserves to be annihilated since the very tenets of Hinduism, its practices and traditions are considered a sin in those doctrines. Since these attacks emanate from intrinsic and doctrinal animosity towards Hindus and Hinduism, it is considered a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. 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. In this instance, the Hindus participating in a religious procession being taken out on the festival of Ganesh Puja, a major Hindu festival dedicated to the worship of the Lord Ganesha, were brutally attacked by a group of Muslims who pelted stones at the devotees from the rooftops of the houses. The Islamists, in their animosity against the Hindu faith, desecrated the idol of the Hindu deity. In Hinduism, idols (murtis) of deities are not just symbolic representations but are considered embodiments of the divine. They are objects of profound veneration and are integral to religious practices and rituals. Desecrating the idol of a Hindu deity is considered a hate crime as it is considered a profound offence against religious sentiments. It is important to note here that in this instance, there was no initial provocation from the Hindu side. In fact, it was the Islamists who were offended by the Hindus celebrating their festival and launched the vicious attack on the religious procession taken out by Hindu devotees. Given that the fundamental motivation behind these actions is contempt for the Hindu religion, this instance has been added to the tracker under the following category.
Case Status
Case sub-judice
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
