Four families attacked by Hindu nationalist group in Uttar Pradesh

On 9 August four families of Kavi Nagar slum in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh were attacked by members of a right-wing Hindu group called the Hindu Raksha Dal in reprisal of the attacks on the minority Hindus in Bangladesh, following the resignation of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her exit from the country.

The Hindu Raksha Dal attacked the community in Kavi Nagar, which is located outside the Guldhar railway station, by tearing down their homes and beating the residents mercilessly. Their clothes and belongings were also burned. The victims, including women, children and the elderly, were forced to flee, leaving everything behind. In videos circulated on social media, the mob can be heard using anti-Muslim slurs and telling the victims to go back to Bangladesh.

Police arrived at the scene and a First Information Report (FIR) was filed later that day at the Madhuban Bapudham police station, which has jurisdiction over the slum in Kavi Nagar. The FIR states that none of the victims were from Bangladesh and are Indian citizens who belong to the Muslim community from the neighbouring Shahjahanpur district. Other residents in the Kavi Nagar slum had reportedly tried to explain to the mob that the targeted victims were not from Bangladesh, but the mob would not listen and proceeded to target anyone who they perceived to be Muslim (wearing skull caps or having a beard). The Hindu Raksha Dal is known to resort to violence in the name of protecting Hinduism and has approximately 100,000 members.

Prior to carrying out the attack on 9 August, the leader and founder of the Hindu Raksha Dal in India, popularly known as Pinky Chaudary, released a videoin which he gives Prime Minister Modi a 24-hour ultimatum to put pressure on the authorities in Bangladesh to stop the crimes against Hindus in Bangladesh. He goes on to warn that if his message is not heeded, he will take revenge on Bangladeshis living in India.

There have also been other calls for retaliation on social media. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Nitesh Rane posted onX, formerly Twitter, saying, “If Hindus are targeted and killed in Bangladesh, why should we allow even one Bangladeshi to breathe here. We will also identify and kill.”

There have been more than 200 incidents of violent attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh in the last few weeks, across at least 52 districts. At least four Hindus have been killed and several other cases of injuries and sexual assault have been reported. Several reports reveal that the attacks against Hindus in Bangladesh are being given a communal colour and, in some instances, attacks against Hindus may be due to political affiliations rather than for their religious identity.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: “CSW is deeply concerned by targeted violence against Muslims in India by radical religious groups. It is worrying that the Muslims are not only exposed to targeted attacks because of hate narratives coming from within the country but are also exposed to the threat of violence and targetted harassment due to external events that make them easy targets for reprisals with impunity. CSW urges the police to take decisive action against the perpetrators of the attack. CSW calls on India to ensure that its Muslim community and Muslims from Bangladesh who live in India are protected against targeted attacks, are guaranteed safety and that swift action is taken to ensure perpetrators of violence are brought to justice. We also urge authorities in Bangladesh to ensure that religious minorities in the country, including Hindus, receive the same protections.”