Hindu devotees injured as Navratri ‘Maa Ki Jyoti Yatra’ attacked with stones in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Case ID : e842a4f | Location : Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India | Date of Incident : Tue, 30 September, 2025

Case ID : e842a4f

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

30 September, 2025

Hindu devotees injured as Navratri ‘Maa Ki Jyoti Yatra’ attacked with stones in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Attack not resulting in death

Attack on religious procession

Attack against Hindu devotees

Case Summary

A Hindu religious procession was attacked in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, when a group of 10 to 12 youths pelted stones at devotees during the ‘Maa Ki Jyoti Yatra’ in Sadrauna Kashiram Colony, Para area, late on the night of October 1, 2025. Three people, including Anshu Gautam, Akshay Pal, and Satyam Pal, sustained injuries in the violence. The attack occurred during a Navratri vigil when residents were carrying the sacred flame of the mother goddess from the Jwala Mata temple. Devotees were dancing to the devotional song “Jo Ram Ko Laye Hai, Hum Unko Laayenge” being played on the DJ, when a group of youths objected to the song. Despite attempts by the devotees to reason with them, the youths abused the participants and began pelting stones, causing chaos and panic as people fled. Victims recalled that the attackers even demanded that a film song be played instead of the devotional song. When the devotees refused, violence broke out. Stones were hurled, and even the parents of a devotee were assaulted. Police reached the spot after being informed, but the attackers had already fled. Later, two individuals were detained. Inspector Suresh Singh of Para police station stated that the yatra was escorted safely to the Jagran site and assured that action would be taken once formal complaints were registered. Despite the violence, the immersion procession was carried out the following morning under heavy police deployment, ensuring no further disruption.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

The primary category in this case is: Attack not resulting in death. The subcategory under this is: 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. The other subcategory under this 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. This case has been added to the tracker because it represents a direct attack on a Hindu religious procession, an act that constitutes a hate crime against Hindus. The incident in Lucknow was not merely a dispute over music but an assault on a sacred religious practice and an attempt to obstruct the free expression of Hindu faith during one of its most significant festivals, Navratri. The devotees were carrying the sacred flame of the mother goddess, a ritual that embodies reverence and continuity of faith, while singing and dancing to a devotional song dedicated to Lord Ram. The objection raised by the attackers was not incidental but targeted. The mob objected to the use of a DJ, but this was only a pretext. Music during processions is a common and long-accepted part of Hindu celebrations. The real intent was not about noise but about obstructing Hindu worship, and the excuse of the DJ was used to justify hostility. Their demand that the devotional song “Jo Ram Ko Laye Hai, Hum Unko Laayenge” be replaced with a film song demonstrates an intent to undermine and demean the religious atmosphere of the procession. This refusal to tolerate a bhajan dedicated to Ram, followed by stone-pelting when the devotees declined to comply, clearly establishes that the violence was directed at the Hindu faith itself. The stone pelting that followed injured several individuals, including Anshu Gautam, Akshay Pal, and Satyam Pal, and even extended to the parents of one of the devotees. Such indiscriminate aggression underscores the hostility with which the group viewed the Hindu religious gathering. The violence created an atmosphere of fear and chaos, attempting to discourage Hindus from freely conducting their traditions. This pattern of hostility towards outward Hindu practices, particularly processions, aligns with previous documented instances where processions were attacked for playing bhajans, displaying Hindu icons, or simply crossing certain neighbourhoods. The choice of timing also underscores the deliberate targeting. Navratri is one of the most auspicious and widely celebrated festivals in Hinduism, and disrupting a religious yatra at such a moment carries symbolic weight. It signals contempt not only for the individuals participating but for the very ethos of Hindu tradition. Stone-pelting at processions has become a recurring feature of religiously motivated aggression, often justified by trivial pretexts such as music, volume, or routes. Yet, the underlying cause is rooted in religious animosity towards Hindu expressions of worship and devotion. By attacking a Navratri yatra and demanding the cessation of a Ram bhajan, the perpetrators revealed an ideological opposition to Hindu religious identity. This case thus stands as a clear example of a hate crime motivated by hostility towards Hindus and their traditions, warranting its inclusion in the tracker. Disclaimer: The victim count in this case has been noted as three, based on reports confirming that three Hindu youths sustained serious injuries in the attack. Although many others, including parents of a Hindu devotee, in the procession faced violence and intimidation, only three injury has been officially documented so far. The count will be updated if further verified information becomes available.