Hindu temple vandalised as Muslim mob spits and urinates outside; Hindu man assaulted and forced to chant Islamic slogans
Murshidabad, West Bengal, India 
11 April, 2025
Case Summary
Amidst the anti-Hindu violence unleashed by Muslim mobs in Murshidabad under the pretext of opposing the Waqf Amendment Act, Jharna Mondal, a local Hindu woman, one of the victims, recounted the harrowing experience of the targeted assaults against the Hindu community and vandalism of the temple by the Muslim mob. She said, "They spat and urinated in front of the temple. At least 2000 to 5000 people came and vandalised this temple. They broke this temple on Saturday.” Mandal informed that her brother-in-law was assaulted and forced to chant ‘Allah’ and 'Bismillah'. She said, "Six people held my brother-in-law (Devar) and assaulted him brutally at that place. They forced him to say ‘Allah’ and ‘Bismillah’. All of them told my brother-in-law to leave the village.” Mondal said that neither the police nor the village Pradhan came to their rescue. “There was no police. There were 5 personnel who ran away out of fear. They (Muslims) told the police to flee or else they would kill them. No one helped us—neither the Pradhan nor the police. I fell on their feet, begged them to come and protect us, but they did not come. Our entire village pleaded with them and held their feet,” she stated. Mondal further emphasised that the Border Security Force (BSF) saved them, and the villagers would have been dead without them.“ The BSF has rescued us. If BSF had not come, then we would not have been alive. We would have been dead. We want the BSF camp. We want protection. We do not want Mamata’s police.” she concluded. The testimonies of Hindu victims reinforce the fact that the violence unleashed by Islamists in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district was distinctly communal in nature. On 11th April, 2025, Murshidabad district in West Bengal, which has a significant Muslim population, witnessed widespread violence, vandalism, arson, and targeted assaults against the Hindu community, all under the pretext of protests against the newly enacted Waqf Amendment Act. Following the conclusion of Jumma Namaz, mobs went on a rampage in the Suti and Samserganj areas, disrupting train services, damaging public infrastructure, and bringing normal life to a standstill. The office of the Block Development Officer (BDO) was vandalised with stones and sticks, creating an atmosphere of chaos and fear. However, what stands out is the deliberate and systematic targeting of the Hindu community under the guise of these protests. Local reports also suggested that Hindu temples were attacked and idols desecrated. Hundreds of Hindus have been compelled to flee their homes in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district in the wake of an Islamic onslaught carried out under the pretext of protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025, an outbreak of violence that has already claimed three lives.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker un the primary category of - Attack on Hindu religious representations. The sub-category selected here is - Attack on Temples. 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. Given the central significance of Temples in Hindu Dharma, any attack against a Hindu Temple or its peripheral premises is an attack on the faith itself and is born out of animosity towards the faith, of which, the Temple is a central tenet. Any manner of attack against a Temple and/or its premises would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. The other sub-category selected is- Abrahamic religion chanting outside Hindu place of worship. 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. The other sub-category selected is- Breaking rules of place of worship. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. One of these oral traditions or written traditions is the rules of specific temples. Certain temples have rules which are traditional rules, dependent on the worship of the presiding deities. These rules and traditions have been followed for thousands of years whether they find scriptural mention or not. Such traditions are based on the nature and rules of worship of the presiding deity of that temple. Any non-compliance of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the presiding deity but also disregard for the faith of the devotees of that deity/temple and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition and the deity itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific temple and presiding deity, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. The other primary category selected is- Attack not resulting in death. The sub-category selected here 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 other sub-category selected here is- Attacked to induce migration from non-Hindu dominated area. There have been cases where the Hindus living in an area, often with a majority dwelling belonging to non-Hindus or those harbouring animosity towards the Hindu faith, the Hindu residents experience threats and violence. The violence is employed with the aim of making the Hindus leave the area and relocate, so the area could be turned into an exclusive ghetto for adherents of the non-Hindu faith or those who harbor animosity towards the Hindu faith. In several cases, the aim of exodus is explicit. However, in several cases, the demand for exodus of Hindu residents is not explicit, however, violence by non-Hindu residents leaves the Hindu residents no option but to leave the area, thereby, turning the area into an exclusive ghetto of non-Hindu residents. In such cases, there are instances violence against the Hindu residents explicitly. For example, in the Hauz Qazi case of 2019, the Muslim residents claimed that mob violence against the Hindu residents had been triggered by a parking dispute. However, the violence did turn religious with a temple being desecrated and was directed specifically against the Hindu residents. The Hindu residents of the area were clear that the violence was religiously motivated and one of the motives was to affect an exodus of the Hindu residents. In such cases, even though the perpetrators have not explicitly expressed the aim of affecting exodus, the given circumstances and violence and precedent point to the intention of exodus and therefore would be categorized under this sub-category. Such crimes are religiously motivated and therefore are hate crimes. The other sub-category 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. This case constitutes a hate crime due to the deliberate and targeted nature of the violence and desecration directed against the Hindu community and its religious symbols. The events described by Jharna Mondal highlight several clear indicators of religiously motivated hostility and persecution. Firstly, the vandalism of the temple represents a direct attack on Hindu religious identity. To damage a temple is to defile the sanctity of the space, which is deeply sacred to devotees. This act goes beyond mere property damage—it symbolises a profound disdain for the faith itself. The scale of the violence, involving a large Muslim mob, reinforces that this was not an isolated or spontaneous incident but a coordinated act aimed at intimidating the Hindu residents. Secondly, the act of urinating and spitting in front of the temple is not just an act of vulgarity—it is a calculated humiliation. It desecrates a space that Hindus hold as pure and sacred. Such acts are designed to insult and degrade the religious sentiments of the community, signalling contempt and asserting dominance over their faith and practices. Thirdly, the assault on Mondal’s brother-in-law, in which he was beaten and forced to chant "Allah" and "Bismillah," clearly illustrates coercion and religious intimidation. Forcing an individual to chant the name of a deity not from their own faith, especially under duress and violence, is a violation of religious freedom and an expression of religious supremacy. It is meant to suppress and dominate the religious identity of the victim, furthering the intent of religious persecution. Fourthly, the violent attack on the Hindu man underscores that individuals were targeted specifically for their Hindu identity. The attackers not only assaulted him but also instructed him to leave the village, suggesting a clear motive to drive out Hindu residents and alter the religious demography of the area. This form of intimidation is a tactic of forced migration, commonly associated with religious cleansing or ghettoisation. Finally, the failure of local authorities and police to intervene or offer protection further compounds the gravity of the situation. Mondal's testimony that she and others pleaded with officials for help, only to be ignored or dismissed, indicates a systemic failure or possible complicity in allowing such violence to occur unchecked. Given the targeting of a Hindu temple, coercion of religious practice, desecration of sacred space, physical assault based on religious identity, and the effort to displace an entire community, this case meets the criteria of a religiously motivated hate crime under multiple established definitions. It demonstrates a clear pattern of hostility aimed at Hindus and their faith, and therefore must be documented and addressed as such. Disclaimer: This case is one among several incidents reported during the Murshidabad violence. The broader context and detailed documentation of the Murshidabad violence compiled by Hinduphobia Tracker is provided here as a reference.
Victim Details
Total Victim
2
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 1
- Female 1
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 2
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 0
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 2
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
