Hindu leader targeted by Muslim men for raising voice against persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh

Case ID : b45f4f1 | Location : India | Date of Incident : Wed, 25 December, 2024

Case ID : b45f4f1

India

25 December, 2024

Hindu leader targeted by Muslim men for raising voice against persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh

Attack not resulting in death

Attacked for opposing radicals or trying to save victim

Case Summary

Intelligence Bureau (IB) sources revealed that Islamic extremist groups from Bangladesh were planning an attack on BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, reportedly due to his criticism of the Mohammad Yunus government and the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh. According to an India Today report, four Muslim men from Bangladesh conducted a reconnaissance in Contai, East Medinipur, West Bengal, where Adhikari resides. They were seen taking photographs of the area and Adhikari’s residence. The IB alerted the State Police and recommended increasing security around Adhikari’s residence. Despite the threats, Adhikari stated that he was unshaken and confident in the support of the people. Adhikari has been a vocal critic of the Yunus government, labelling it illegal and accusing it of fostering fundamentalists and militants. On December 22, he participated in a protest rally at Egra, organized by the BJP Bengal Medinipur District, to condemn the atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh. Adhikari highlighted the wrongful imprisonment of ISKCON priest Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu and demanded his unconditional release. Through a tweet, Adhikari also condemned the desecration of the Indian flag in Bangladesh and emphasized his support for the Hindu community. Since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, 2024, Bangladesh has plunged into chaos as Islamist extremists have taken advantage of the political turmoil to unleash a wave of terror and violence against the Hindu community. The Islamist mobs have attacked Hindu homes, burned them to the ground, and abducted women in a horrific descent into anarchy. Several temples have been destroyed in various parts of the Islamic country in a major crackdown on Hindus.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

The case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Attack not resulting in death and 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. In this case, the attack on the Hindu leader stemmed from his vocal opposition to radical Islamist elements and his efforts to protect and advocate for persecuted Hindus in Bangladesh. Adhikari's criticism of the Mohammad Yunus government and his support for Hindu rights made him a target of Muslim extremist groups. The attack reflects an attempt to silence those who speak against Islamist radicals, highlighting the broader hostility towards Hindu defenders and activists, which aligns with the criteria for inclusion in the Hinduphobia tracker.