Hindu protestors threatened by West Bengal Police for chanting Jai Shri Ram
Siliguri, West Bengal, India 
30 May, 2025
Case Summary
In Siliguri, West Bengal, a Hindu man, while protesting, was threatened with violence by West Bengal Police for chanting "Jai Shri Ram." The entire incident occurred during a protest organised by various Hindu organisations against illegal cow slaughter activities in the region. The protest was also in response to Hindu activists being attacked by a Muslim mob. During the protests, various Hindus were chanting Jai Shri Ram slogans in an attempt to show solidarity with Hindu activists who were attacked. Within that context, a video surfaced where a West Bengal policeman is heard saying to a Hindu protester by saying that "Chant 'Jai Shree Ram' all you want, nothing will come of it". Furthermore, the policeman also threatened the Hindu protester by saying that 'we will not leave you' and 'We will show you at night.'
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of: - Restriction/ban on Hindu practices. Within it, the sub-category selected is: - Restriction on expression of Hindu identity. An example of the state-affected prejudicial and targeted orders against the Hindu community would be a government denying the right of a Hindu or a group of Hindus to hold a religious procession owing to the animosity of non-Hindu groups. Denial of the religious right of the Hindus to assuage the non-Hindu group which harbours animosity to a point where it could lead to violence against Hindus is not only a failure of law and order but is a prejudicial order against Hindus, denying them their fundamental rights to express their religious identity. An example of a hate crime against Hindus by a non-Hindu would be a non-Hindu institution forcing its Hindu employees to abandon religious symbols that a Hindu would wear as an expression of faith owing to inherent prejudice against the faith professed by the victim or a non-Hindu group of people restricting a Hindu group from constructing a place of worship simply because the demography of the area in which the temple is being built is dominated by non-Hindus. Such actions are driven by religious animosity and/or prejudice against Hindus and their faith and would therefore be categorised as a hate crime. This case has been added to the tracker because a Hindu protester was threatened with violence by a West Bengal policeman solely for chanting "Jai Shri Ram" during a protest. The policeman gave an implicit threat by saying, “We will not leave you... We will show you at night.” Furthermore, Hindus were protesting to support their fellow Hindu activists who were attacked by a Muslim and the rampant cow smuggling activities going on in the area. Instead of acting against the perpetrators of the violence or addressing the illegal activities, the West Bengal Police chose to intimidate Hindu protestors. This is consistent with actions of the West Bengal police under Mamata Banerjee's government, where laws are enforced selectively and harshly against Hindus while simultaneously shielding Muslim perpetrators. This case does not exist in isolation. It is part of a larger and growing pattern where Hindus in West Bengal have been targeted simply for practising their faith. Hindus have been previously arrested for chanting "Jai Shri Ram", denied permission to hold religious processions such as Ram Navami and Durga Visarjan, and have been subjected to censorship and police intimidation for exercising their religious and cultural rights. For instance, in 2019, at least 10 people were arrested in Barrackpore for chanting "Jai Shri Ram" near Mamata Banerjee’s convoy. The Chief Minister even publicly labelled those chanting the slogan as "criminals," effectively criminalising a sacred phrase used by millions of Hindus. Furthermore, Mamata Banerjee’s consistent silence on attacks against Hindus by Muslim mobs—and her government’s repeated issuance of orders restricting Hindu religious practices—point to a clear pattern of appeasement. Her administration has routinely imposed limitations on Hindu festivals, delayed or denied permissions for Hindu gatherings, and often shown hostility to even basic expressions of Hindu identity, all while fostering a political ecosystem that caters to Islamist demands. This incident must be understood within the larger framework of Mamata Banerjee’s law-and-order approach, which has repeatedly shielded Muslim offenders while turning a blind eye to violence against Hindus. During the Murshidabad and Sandeshkhali violence that occurred in April 2025 and January 2024, respectively, Hindus faced horrifying atrocities including sexual violence, forced conversions, and arson. Yet, the state government either downplayed or outright ignored these events. In stark contrast, when a Hindu woman like Sharmishtha spoke out against the Pahalgam anti-Hindu violence, where Islamic terrorists killed Hindu tourists after religiously identifying them, the response was swift arrest. This proves how the law is applied not based on justice, but on religious and political appeasement in West Bengal.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 1
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 1
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 1
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
State and Establishment
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
