Hindu festival disrupted, grenade hurled at Thakur Dwara temple on Holi
Amritsar, Punjab, India 
13 March, 2025
Case Summary
On Holi 2025, two unidentified masked men hurled an explosive, suspected to be a grenade, at the Thakur Dwara temple in Amritsar’s Khandwala area. CCTV footage captured the assailants arriving on a bike near the temple at around 12:45 AM, carrying a flag. After waiting for a few seconds, one of them dismounted and threw the explosive before fleeing. While no injuries were reported, the blast shattered window panes and damaged a temple wall. The forensic team collected samples from the site, and the temple priest alerted the police. Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar attributed the attack to Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI. He assured that the perpetrators would be apprehended soon. Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu condemned the attack and criticised the AAP government for its failure to maintain law and order in Punjab. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also blamed Pakistan, stating that such incidents were part of a broader strategy to destabilise the state, similar to ongoing drone infiltrations and drug-related activities. He insisted that Punjab Police remained proactive and well-equipped to handle such threats. Local Shiromani Akali Dal leader Kirandeep Singh Monu confirmed that the 25-year-old temple was occupied at the time, with the priest and his family sleeping inside. The blast was strong enough to impact nearby buildings, breaking their windows.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Under this, the sub-category selected 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. This explosive attack on a Hindu temple during a religious festival is a blatant act of religiously motivated hate and terror. The most important factor that justifies this incident as a hate crime is the choice of target—a Hindu temple. This suggests deliberate religious targeting. Further, the attack happened on Holi, a significant Hindu festival, indicating an attempt to instil fear among Hindus and disrupt their religious celebrations. Given that the fundamental motivation behind these actions is contempt for the Hindu religion, this instance has been added to the tracker under the following category.
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
