Hindus blamed for violence in Sambhal where Islamists had resorted to arson and clashed with the police after court-ordered survey at Jama Masjid
India 
23 November, 2024
Case Summary
On November 19, a court-mandated survey was conducted at Jama Masjid in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, following a petition claiming the mosque was built over a Hindu temple dedicated to Bhagwan Kalki. The petition, filed by Supreme Court Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain and others, led to a survey under the supervision of an Advocate Commission, with heavy police presence to maintain order. However, on November 24, during a second round of the survey, violence erupted as an Islamist mob gathered outside the mosque. The mob pelted stones at police, opened fire, and set vehicles and shops ablaze. The police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets but were met with gunfire from the rioters. The violence resulted in the injury of at least 20 police personnel and the death of four rioters, who were likely killed by illegal firearms. Police later confirmed that the rioters' gunfire, not the police, caused the deaths. Despite the facts being there in the public domain, Shahid Siddiqui, the Chief Editor of Nai Duniya and former Member of Parliament, shifted the blame for the Sambhal violence onto Hindus. In a social media post, Siddiqui argued that "searching for a Shivling under every mosque" would only lead to unrest in the country. Known for his controversial political stances, Siddiqui has been at the centre of various debates, including his 2021 claim of financially supporting madarsas in Saharanpur and Muzaffarnagar with funds from his MPLADS. Additionally, he made headlines in 2020 when he revealed that Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi had arranged for the anti-viral drug Remdesivir for her brother Rahul during the Covid-19 crisis. Siddiqui’s past actions, including sharing misleading information about a viral video of a mother and child on a train, further highlight his tendency to stir controversy.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Hate speech against Hindus. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Anti-Hindu subversion and prejudice. Further, based on case details a tertiary category named- Mislabelling/Misrepresentation of perpetrator's religion as Hindu has also been selected here. Hate speech is defined as any speech, gesture, conduct, writing, or display that is prejudicial against a specific individual and/or group of people, which is leading to or may lead to violence, prejudicial action or hate against that individual and/or group. Media plays a specific and overarching reach in perpetuating prejudicial attitudes towards a community owing to unfair, untrue coverage and/or misrepresentation/misinterpretation, selective coverage and/or omission of facts of/pertaining to issues affecting a specific religious group. This type of bias can dehumanise the victim group, making it easier for others to justify harmful actions against them, which aligns with the objectives of hate speech laws aimed at preventing such harm. It is often observed that the media takes a prejudicial stand against the Hindu community driven by their need to shield the aggressor community which happens to be a numeric minority, however, is the one perpetrating violence against Hindus. For example, the media is often quick to contextualise religiously motivated crimes against Hindus, omit or misrepresent facts that point towards religiously motivated hate crimes, justify and/or downplay religiously motivated hate crimes or simply present fake news to stereotype Hindus. Such media bias leads to the denial of persecution and is often used to dehumanise Hindus, leading to justification for violence against them. For example, the media covered several fake allegations of Hindus targeting Muslims and forcing them to chant Jai Shree Ram. Most of these cases were proved false and fabricated after police investigation. These fake news reports were subsequently never retracted or clarified. Such fake news led to the justification of violence and dehumanisation of Hindus based on the argument that since Hindus targeted Muslims and forced them to chant Jai Shree Ram, the dehumanisation of Hindus and violence against them was par for the course and merely a retaliation. Such media bias leads to prejudicial portrayal of Hindus and offers a justification for violence against them and therefore, is considered hate speech under this category. The violence in Sambhal was carried out by an Islamist mob, yet Siddiqui's comments point toward Hindus being the instigators of the violence. By doing so, he misrepresents the nature of the incident, distorting the actual sequence of events. This misrepresentation serves to vilify Hindus and absolve the true perpetrators of their actions, creating a narrative where Hindus are unfairly blamed for the violence. Since this systematic dismissal is indicative of an underlying bias that perpetuates discrimination against Hindus and exemplifies how the motivations behind the denial or downplaying of religiously motivated persecution are rooted in a profound animosity toward Hindus and their faith, this case has been added to the tracker.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
