Hindu properties attacked by Muslim mob raising the Palestine flag amidst Muharram procession, police downplays the communal attack
West Bengal, India 
5 July, 2025
Case Summary
In the English Bazaar area of Laxmikantpur village, in the Malda district of West Bengal, Hindu shops and homes were targeted and attacked by a Muslim group participating in a Muharram procession. Members of the procession also raised the Palestinian flag, in a show of allegiance to the Islamic nation. According to media reports, as the Muharram procession passed by Hindu shops in the village, Palestinian flags were raised, after which Hindu shops and homes were attacked with sticks. The police were informed of the situation and arrived promptly at the spot to bring the situation under control. Later, the police issued a statement on their Facebook page, describing it as a 'small incident'. The police also stated that the incident was triggered by the act of breaking guavas from a tree. Due to the resulting tension in the area, a large police force was deployed to maintain law and order. The Bharatiya Janata Party also commented on the matter, stating that the Muslim group first raised the Palestine flag and then attacked Hindu homes and shops in the area.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack not resulting in death. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Communal Clash/Attack. Communal clash is a form of collective violence that involves clashes between groups belonging to different religious identities. For a communal clash between Hindus and non-Hindus to qualify as a religiously motivated hate crime, the trigger of the violence itself would have to be anti-Hindu in essence. For example, if there is a Hindu religious procession that comes under attack from a non-Hindu mob and after the initial attack, Hindus retaliate in self-defence, leading to a communal clash between the two religious communities. While at a later stage, both communities are involved in the clash/violence, the initial trigger of the violence was by the non-Hindu mob against the Hindus and therefore, it could safely be termed as an anti-Hindu violence. Further, the trigger would also have to be religiously motivated. In the cited example, the attack by the non-Hindu mob was against religious processions and therefore, can be concluded to be religiously motivated. In some cases, the trigger may be non-religious, however, it develops into religious violence against Hindus at a later stage. In such cases too, the foundational animosity towards Hindus becomes the motivating factor of the crime and therefore, it would be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime against Hindus under this category. The other sub-category selected under the above category is- Attacked for Hindu identity. In several cases, Hindus are attacked merely for their Hindu identity without any perceived provocation. A classic example of this category of religiously motivated hate crime is a murder in 2016. 7 ISIS terrorists were convicted for shooting a school principal in Kanpur because they got ‘triggered’ seeing the Kalava on his wrist and tilak that he had put. In this, the Hindu victim had offered no provocation except for his Hindu religious identity. The motivation for the murder was purely religious, driven by religious supremacy. Such cases where Hindus are targeted merely for their religious identity would be documented as a hate crime under this category. In this case, another primary category that is relevant is- Hate Speech against Hindus. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Anti-Hindu slurs, mocking faith. Anti-Hindu slurs and the deliberate mocking of the Hindu faith owing to religious animosity involve the usage of derogatory terms, stereotypes, or offensive references to religious practices, symbols, or figures. One of the common anti-Hindu slurs used against Hindus is “cow-worshipper” and “cow piss drinker”. The intention of using this term is to demean and mock Hindus as a group and their religious beliefs since Hindus consider the cow holy. Additionally, some symbols and the slurs attached to them have a historical context that exacerbates the insult, hate, stereotyping, dehumanisation and oppression against Hindus. Cow worship has been used for centuries to denigrate Hindus, insult their faith and oppress Hindus specifically as a religious group. There has been overwhelming documentation about how cow slaughter has been used to persecute Hindus with cow meat being thrown in temples and places of worship. There has also been overwhelming documentation where cow meat (beef) has been force-fed to Hindus to either forcefully convert them to Islam or denigrate their faith. Apart from cow worship, the Swastika – which holds deep religious significance for the Hindus – has also been misinterpreted and distorted to use as a slur against Hindus. Similarly, the worship of the Shivling has been used by supremacist ideologies and religions to denigrate Hindus owing to religious animosity. Such slurs and denigration stem out of inherent animosity and hate towards Hindus and their faith, therefore, it is categorised as hate speech targeted at Hindus specifically owing to their religious identity. In this case, the Muslim perpetrators participating in a Muharram procession carried out a targeted attack on Hindu shops and homes. It is important to highlight here that the attack was completely unprovoked. The Muslims launched an attack as the Muharram procession reached near Hindu shops and homes. This selective targeting of Hindus underscores the communal and hate-driven nature of the violence, as the victims were targeted solely because of their religious identity. Such actions are rooted in deep-seated religious animosity towards Hindus and their faith. 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 violence further demonstrates that the attack was not spontaneous; rather, it was a premeditated effort to target the Hindu community. During the Muharram procession, the Muslim mob also raised Palestinian flags. It may be said that the unfurling of the Palestine flag can be considered anti-India and pro-Palestine, but not anti-Hindu. However, these actions do not only show pro-Palestine sentiments, but also anti-Hindu sentiments. 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, this would also mean that the unfurling of the Palestine flag is about hailing a Muslim collectivity and an expression of transnational loyalty and anti-Hindu sentiments. For that reason, any act which expresses transnational loyalty and faith in the Ummah is automatically an act against Hindus and the Hindu collectivity. Such expressions of transnational unity are a direct demonstration of hatred for India and, by extension, Hindus. This, combined with the targeted violence against Hindu homes and shops, showcases that the attack was a religiously motivated violence against the Hindu community. Following the attack, the police deliberately downplayed the attack by referring to it as 'a small incident' and attributed it to a dispute over the breaking of guavas from a tree. This attempt to minimise the seriousness of the attack against Hindus showcases that there is a systematic attack on the Hindu community, where crimes against them get whitewashed or downplayed by the authorities. This further emboldens the Muslim perpetrators to further launch attacks on the Hindu community. Such instances of police downplaying and whitewashing targeted violence against Hindus have been witnessed time and again. In such cases, the police often deny or downplay the communal angle under the pretext of maintaining law and order and preventing the situation from escalating further. However, such denials often come at the cost of truth and justice for the Hindu victims. West Bengal police, especially, have a history of downplaying violence committed by the Muslim community. Over the past several years, there has been a disturbing pattern in West Bengal where incidents of targeted violence, vandalism, and intimidation against Hindus have either been downplayed, misrepresented, or outright denied by the state police and administration. This whitewashing has become institutionalised under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, whose government stands accused of deliberately shielding Islamist elements while clamping down on Hindu rights. A glaring example of this systemic whitewashing is evident in the handling of the Murshidabad violence, as well as multiple other incidents in Basirhat, Malda, Midnapore, and Uttar Dinajpur. In the Basirhat case (March 2025), for instance, when a Kali temple was vandalised and the idol desecrated, the police quickly dismissed the communal nature of the attack and labelled the perpetrator as “mentally unstable” without any serious investigation or due process. This is a familiar pattern used to neutralise public outrage and deflect attention from religiously motivated crimes against Hindus. In the aftermath of widespread anti-Hindu violence in Murshidabad and Malda (April 2025), which included incidents of arson, looting, and idol desecration, the West Bengal Police attempted to present the violence as “minor clashes” or “local disputes” unrelated to religion. Reports indicated that despite credible accounts of Hindu homes and temples being attacked, the police either failed to act in time or took a biased stance that allowed the violence to escalate. In many cases, police statements contradicted eyewitness reports and video evidence shared on social media. The bias of the state extends beyond inaction. There are increasing instances where the state actively suppresses Hindu religious expression. Hindus have been arrested simply for chanting “Jai Shri Ram”, a phrase vilified by sections of the administration and the ruling party. Permission for Hindu processions—especially during festivals like Ram Navami or Hanuman Jayanti- is routinely denied on grounds of "law and order concerns", while Muslim religious gatherings face no such hurdles. Moreover, over the years, the Mamata-led government has issued numerous prejudicial directives, like orders restricting Durga Puja immersions, citing Muharram processions. Inaction on anti-Hindu mob violence in areas like Dhulian, Islampur, and Kaliachak. Public endorsements and appeasement of radical clerics and Islamist leaders, while dismissing concerns raised by Hindu groups as “communal provocation”. The systematic suppression of Hindu voices, the denial of communal violence, and the criminalisation of Hindu identity expressions such as “Jai Shri Ram” reflect not just administrative failure but a deeper ideological hostility toward the Hindu community. This case clearly demonstrates targeted violence against the Hindu community by a Muslim mob. The raising of Palestinian flags during the attack was a deliberate gesture, signalling global Muslim solidarity and transnational unity. Such actions stem from deep-seated animosity and prejudice towards Hindus. Therefore, this incident is being added to the hate crime database. Despite the clear evidence of selective targeting, the police dismissed the incident as a 'minor dispute', refusing to acknowledge the communal nature of the violence.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
