Hindu nationalist vigilantes attack Muslim settlement in India
Lucknow: On 9th August, a group of vigilantes from the Hindu nationalist organisation, Hindu Raksha Dal (HRD), led by their leader Bhupender Tomar, also known as Pinky Chaudhry, attacked a settlement in Ghaziabad, near Delhi, India.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the group claimed that the residents, who were Muslims, were illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar (Rohingyas).
Footage of the attack, initially shared by the group on its own social media platforms, shows the vigilantes vandalising homes, setting belongings on fire, and assaulting residents with sticks while shouting religious slurs. This marks the second attack by this group within a week.
The attackers not only set fire to the shanties but also targeted and destroyed the personal belongings of the Muslim residents after confirming their identities. These incidents have coincided with a surge in social media rhetoric calling for retaliation against perceived attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.
Prominent figures, including members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and actress-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut, have made inflammatory statements online, further escalating tensions.
Video shows members of India’s far-right Hindu Raksha Dal beating impoverished Muslim residents in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, setting their belongings on fire and accusing them of being Bangladeshi migrants. pic.twitter.com/JEulPVO9d6
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) August 11, 2024
