Ram Navami procession in Kolkata attacked with stones, vehicles vandalised for displaying saffron flags
Kolkata, West Bengal, India 
5 April, 2025
Case Summary
A Ram Navami procession passing through Kolkata’s Park Circus Seven Point area came under a violent stone-pelting attack. Devotees, many carrying saffron flags, were injured and numerous vehicles were vandalised. West Bengal BJP president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said, “Stones rained down on vehicles just for carrying saffron flags. Windshields shattered. Chaos unleashed. This wasn’t random, it was targeted violence. And where was the police? Right there. Watching. Silent. Spineless.” He blamed the Mamata Banerjee-led government for the lawlessness, accusing the police of being “completely paralysed by Mamata Banerjee’s politics of appeasement.” The BJP pointed out that despite the heavy presence of police personnel, no action was taken to prevent or stop the violence. They also highlighted a stark contrast. The same Park Circus area had come to a standstill just days before when members of the Muslim community protested against the Waqf Amendment Bill, blocking roads without any permission or police obstruction. On the other hand, Kolkata police denied the accusations and claimed, “With reference to an alleged incident at Park Circus, it is clarified that no permission was taken for any procession, nor did any such movement occur in the area.” It claimed that police reacted swiftly to restore order after learning that a car had been damaged and a case is being filed to look into the situation. BJP leader Tarun Jyoti Tiwari countered Kolkata Police’s denial, questioning whether permission was ever sought for protests at Park Circus. “There was no permission when Muslim groups protested the Waqf Bill, but now the police are suddenly concerned about permits?” he asked.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case was categorised under the primary category- Attack Not Resulting in Death. Under this, the first subcategory selected 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. Under 'Attack not resulting in death', the second subcategory selected 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. The third subcategory under 'Attack not resulting in death' relevant 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 fourth subcategory relevant here 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 instance, the Muslim mob launched a vicious attack on a religious procession taken out by Hindu devotees on the occasion of Ram Navami, a significant Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Ram, one of the most revered Gods in Hinduism. Devotees carrying saffron flags — a symbol of Hindu identity — were deliberately targeted with stone-pelting. Vehicles were vandalised, not randomly, but specifically those associated with the procession. The organised nature of the assault, the choice of target (a Hindu religious event), and the total inaction of the police despite being present point to a premeditated attempt to intimidate and attack Hindus publicly practising their faith. There is a clear pattern in West Bengal where Hindu festivals and religious expressions face hostility, often with little to no protection from the state machinery. Under Mamata Banerjee’s leadership, the government has repeatedly been accused of appeasement politics — turning a blind eye to provocations and attacks from certain groups while clamping down harshly on any assertive Hindu identity. When the police, despite being heavily present at the site, fail to act decisively to protect peaceful devotees, it exposes a systematic bias. The selective policing — where harmless Hindu processions are subjected to scrutiny, restrictions, and police indifference to attacks, while illegal protests by other groups are allowed without consequence — reveals how deep this prejudice runs. In such an environment, the statements issued by the state police cannot be taken at face value. They are not neutral actors but instruments of a government that has repeatedly demonstrated its unwillingness to ensure equal protection under the law for Hindus. It is for these reasons that this particular case constitutes a religiously motivated hate crime against Hindus and warrants inclusion in the tracker. It is also important to mention here that, though the last update was that the miscreants were unknown, regardless, the action stemmed out of hatred against Hinduism and resulted in the attack on the religious procession and would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime.
Case Status
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Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
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