'Blasphemy attack': Muslim mob attack Hindu youth over old social media post, raise ‘Allah hu Akbar’ slogans

Case ID : e97a2ea | Location : Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India | Date of Incident : Wed, 26 July, 2023

Case ID : e97a2ea

Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

26 July, 2023

'Blasphemy attack': Muslim mob attack Hindu youth over old social media post, raise ‘Allah hu Akbar’ slogans

Attack not resulting in death

Attacked over 'Blasphemy'

Case Summary

In Patel Nagar, Dehradun, on July 27, 2023, a group of Muslim youths attacked Aman Bhandari, a Hindu college student, over a two-month-old dispute regarding a social media post. Around 25-30 Muslim youths assaulted Aman with swords and lathis while he was returning from Sri Guru Ram Rai (SGRR) University on his motorcycle. Aman sustained multiple injuries and was hospitalised. Following the attack, Hindu organisations protested and vandalised the scooter of one of the accused. Aman received 27 stitches on his head. On July 28, three of the attackers collided with Aman's bike and assaulted him again with swords and sticks. They fled after chanting Islamic slogans, leaving Aman injured. Hindu activists planned protests in Muslim-dominated areas but were persuaded by the police against it. A complaint was lodged by Aman's sister at Patel Nagar Police Station. The dispute stemmed from a social media post by Aman which the Muslim accused claimed targeted their community. Though the SSP resolved the matter by having the post deleted, the Muslim youths sought revenge and assaulted Aman. Four people were initially detained, and four teams were deployed to apprehend the remaining accused.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been placed in the hate tracker under two prime categories. The first is- Attack not resulting in death. The sub-category chosen under the above-mentioned category is- Attack over "Blasphemy"- Blasphemy essentially refers to the desecration of anything which is held sacred/holy to a group of people. However, for religious supremacist groups, the elements of ‘blasphemy’ are ever-changing, shifting and expanding – leading to infringement on the rights of other religious groups, freedom of speech and expression, threats and even physical violence. There are instances where blasphemy is also used as a dog whistle to target Hindus owing to intrinsic animosity towards Hinduism. There are several instances where stating truths as mentioned in the non-Hindu doctrine itself has led to unmitigated violence against Hindus. There have also been instances where non-Hindus have themselves created a ‘blasphemous’ situation, like placing a Quran in a temple, to use it as an excuse to attack Hindus. Essentially, Blasphemy charges are often made up and/or are used to shut down any form of criticism of non-Hindu faiths and as a tool to target Hindus. Any physical violence over Blasphemy charges against Hindus are foundationally based on animosity for Hindus and their faith owing to religious supremacist ideologies, therefore, such attacks would be documented as religious motivated hate crimes under this category. The assault on Aman Bhandari in Dehradun qualifies as a religiously motivated hate crime, driven by accusations of supposed 'blasphemy.' His social media post, perceived as offensive by Muslim youths, led to brutal violence, reflecting how blasphemy laws—twisted and misused—can be weaponized against Hindus based on their religious identity. The attackers’ decision to assault Aman with swords and lathis, followed by chanting Islamic slogans, underscores deep religious intolerance. The raising of Islamic chants like "Allah hu Akbar" during the attack on Aman Bhandari highlights the extent of religious hate and the use of fear as a weapon against the Hindu youth. Despite Aman complying by deleting the social media post, the Muslim youths still sought revenge, indicating that their motive was driven by deep-seated animosity rather than merely resolving the issue. The use of religious chants during the assault serves to amplify the intimidation, sending a clear message of dominance and religious superiority. This act reflects how the perpetrators not only harboured hatred toward Aman's Hindu identity but also sought to assert their religious ideology through violence, displaying the alarming extent of intolerance and hate.