Hindu religious event attacked: Muslim men pelt stones while carrying Islamic flags and chanting Islamic slogans
Nawada, Bihar, India 
28 August, 2025
Case Summary
In Nawada, Bihar, a Hindu Pran Pratishtha event, a religious event, was attacked by members of the Muslim community. The accused carried Islamic flags and chanted Islamic slogans while carrying out the attack. According to media reports, the incident took place in the Roh Block, where the members of the Muslim community suddenly began chanting Islamic slogans, tearing banners and posters of the Hindu event, and throwing stones. The Muslim group was also carrying green Islamic flags. The local Hindus immediately informed the Roh police station in charge, Avinash Kumar. However, they were told that due to a shortage of personnel and vehicles, only 112 bike units would be sent. No larger police force reached the spot for about an hour, which led to anger among the crowd. Archana Club President Sanoj Kumar stated that a written application had already been submitted to the police on 23rd August 2025, along with Aadhaar cards of ten individuals. Despite this, adequate police deployment was not arranged either during the Kalash Yatra, an earlier Hindu event, or at the time of the disturbance. As the situation grew more serious, SP Abhinav Viman was informed. Following this, personnel from Nawada Nagar police station arrived and brought the situation under control. At the time of reporting, the police had launched search operations and increased surveillance in the area. Local shopkeeper Meraj Alam said that as soon as the stone-pelting began, shops in the market started closing. He added that the timely intervention of the SP prevented the situation from worsening. Even 12 hours after the incident, stones were still scattered on the roads. Meanwhile, ASI Mukesh Kumar maintained that no major incident had occurred. He claimed that the police had arrived in time and that continuous patrolling was being carried out. He further noted that the atmosphere was completely calm at present.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. The sub-category selected is- Violence against religious structures or centres. In Hinduism, a religious structure is also considered divine. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the religious structure itself is sacred. In this sub-category, we would document attacks against religious structures which are not consecrated temple spaces. Such religious spaces could be temporary in nature – for example – the religious spaces erected specifically for festivals like Durga Puja etc. This category would also document cases of attacks against religious centres. These spaces in their own right may not be ‘sacred’ per se, however, are often spaces where religious gurus live, religious teaching is imparted, or belong to religious institutions. Any attack against religious structures is a result of animosity towards the religion itself, which manifests itself through the religious spaces and therefore, such attacks are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. Religious centres are also manifestations of the religion, its teachings or gurus and therefore, attacks against such centres would be considered religiously motivated hate crimes. The other subcategory selected is- Abrahamic religious chanting outside Hindu religious places and/or during Hindu activities. In Hinduism, a temple is the abode of the Deity. The Deity in the Temple is consecrated, thereby, making it a real, breathing entity. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the temple premises itself are sacred to Hindus since Hindus hold the faith that the entire Temple space is an amalgamation of the divine energy of the deity. Similarly, religious activities hold deep significance for Hindus, as they are intricately connected to their spiritual, cultural, and social lives. These practices encompass rituals, festivals, prayers, and pilgrimages that celebrate and honour various deities, fostering a sense of spiritual connection, community, and cultural continuity. Given the central significance of Temples and religious activities in Hindu Dharma, any aggressive Abrahamic chanting outside Temples or during religious activities negates the divinity of the religious space because the chanting itself negates the existence of any other God other than the God of the Abrahamic faith. Such chanting is specifically done to negate the faith of Hindus, establish religious supremacy, intimidate the devotees and mock the faith. Besides temples, such Abrahamic chanting outside any Hindu place of worship or religious structure or during any religious activity has the same effect. Since such acts are rooted in an inherent religious supremacist mentality driven by religious animosity, such crimes would be considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. Another primary category selected is- Attack not resulting in death. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Attack against Hindu devotees. Hindu devotees are a few of the easiest targets of religiously motivated hate crimes because during the festival/procession/puja etc, for non-Hindus it is easy to profile their victims on the basis of religion. Hindu devotees come under attack on several occasions by individual non-Hindus or mobs of non-Hindus owing to their animosity against Hinduism, its symbols and tradition/practices. There are several instances of Hindu devotees being attacked while they worship in temples or temporary religious structures, during religious processions, doing bhajan/kirtan/puja in their own homes, in the residential society etc. These attacks are perpetrated by non-Hindus primarily because of their animosity towards Hindus and their faith. In some cases, the trigger for the violence may be non-religious, however, there are two elements that make these hate crimes. First, the Hindus who come under attack are attacked violently while indulging in religious activity. Whether they are in a place of worship or not is immaterial to the crime. When individuals are attacked while indulging in religious practices, the attack in itself is a hindrance to their freedom to practice religion and therefore constitutes a hate crime. Secondly, religious supremacist doctrines and ideologies deem religious practices of Hindus to be offensive ab initio since they are considered “sinful” by these ideologies, worthy to be annihilated by force or coercion. Driven by these religious supremacist ideologies and doctrines, the attacks against Hindu devotees stem from intrinsic animosity towards Hinduism. In some cases, the trigger for the violence may be non-religious, however, it develops into a religiously motivated crime during the course of the violence. Since these attacks stem from animosity towards Hindus and Hinduism, they are considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. The other 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. In this incident, the attack on the Pran Pratishtha programme in Nawada, Bihar, constituted an act of hostility specifically targeted at the Hindu community and their religious practices. In Hinduism, a Pran Pratishtha is one of the most sacred rituals, as it involves the consecration of an idol by invoking the divine presence of Hindu deities into it. Hindus regard this as a deeply religious and sacred ceremony. The sanctity of this event and the religious place where it is conducted is therefore of the highest significance for devotees. The act of disrupting such a ceremony and attacking a religious place is not just a disturbance of public order, but a deliberate attack on Hindu religious traditions and religious places. The attack went beyond mere disruption. Members of the Muslim community entered the area of the Hindu event while carrying green Islamic flags and chanting Islamic slogans. They tore banners and posters of the Hindu event, an act symbolising not only disrespect but also an attempt to degrade and humiliate the Hindu community during one of its most important religious gatherings. The carrying of Islamic flags and the chanting of Islamic slogans in front of a Hindu religious gathering is a clear instance of the assertion of Islamic dominance. Such acts communicated the message that Hindu customs and faith had no value in that space, while signalling an attempt to establish Islamic superiority. This was not simply disruptive behaviour, but an attack to impose intimidation, religious hostility, and Islamic supremacy over the Hindu community. Additionally, the violence was not limited to symbolic desecration but extended to physical attacks. The throwing of stones endangered the safety of the Hindu devotees who had assembled for the sacred ritual. This converted the attack into a communally motivated assault directed at Hindu devotees. Such actions are a result of deep-seated hostility and hatred for Hinduism, its practices and the Hindu community, making it a case of religiously motivated crime against Hindus. The situation was further aggravated by the inaction of the police. Despite being informed immediately, Roh Police Station officials responded that there was a shortage of personnel and vehicles, and for over an hour, no adequate force reached the site. This delay allowed tensions to escalate and left the Hindu devotees vulnerable during a sacred event. Local Hindus also pointed out that during an earlier religious programme, the Kalash Yatra, the police had failed to deploy sufficient force despite prior written requests. Such repeated indifference towards Hindu gatherings demonstrated systematic discrimination against the Hindu community, where Hindu religious events were not afforded the necessary protection and security given to other communities. Such acts reveal deep-seated bias against Hindus and their faith. In conclusion, the combination of attacking sacred Hindu religious events, displaying provocative Islamic symbols, and carrying out physical violence against Hindu worshippers and Hindu worship places fits within the parameters of a hate crime. Therefore, this incident is being added to the hate crime database.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
