On October 13, a peaceful Maa Durga visarjan procession passed by a mosque, accompanied by a band and DJ. As the procession crossed the mosque, individuals from the mosque demanded that the music be turned off. When this request was refused, stone pelting began, targeting not only the Hindus but also the murti of Maa Durga. In response, the Hindus protested. Among them, 22-year-old Ram Gopal Mishra climbed onto the house of Mohammad Hamid and replaced a green flag with a saffron flag while chanting “Jai Maa Durga” and “Jai Hanuman.”
Tragically, a group of Islamists pulled Gopal into a house, locked him up, and fired 15-20 rounds at him. After shooting him, they further assaulted his body. Later that night, Gopal was declared dead. Currently, the Uttar Pradesh Police have registered an FIR and are investigating the incident, while tensions remain high among the Hindu community, who are demanding justice.
According to the FIR, the accused have been identified as Abdul Hamid, Sarfaraz, Faheem, Sahir, Maroof, Nankau, and others. Different accounts have emerged regarding the cause of this brutal killing. Some attribute the violence to Gopal’s removal of the flag, claiming it hurt religious sentiments, while others accuse the Muslim side of initiating the attack. Additionally, some blame the police for not allowing Hindus to enter the house where Gopal was locked under the pretext of maintaining law and order. The true reason behind the incident is still under investigation. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has vowed that no accused will be spared and assured that visarjan processions will continue as planned.
Ironically, this is not an isolated incident where Hindus have faced violence or lost lives. Organiser has compiled a list of 17 similar cases reported across India during Navratri 2024.
Case 1: Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh
Stones were thrown at a procession carrying a Maa Durga murti for visarjan, accompanied by a band and DJ. The attack resulted in the death of Gopal Mishra, and several Hindus were seriously injured. Investigations are ongoing (mentioned above).
Case 2: Howrah, West Bengal
On October 13, violence erupted in the Shyampur area of Howrah during Durga Puja celebrations. Unidentified individuals set fire to a Durga Puja pandal, sparking unrest. The Howrah Rural Police reported that protests followed from a local community, and a complaint was registered. BJP Leader Suvendu Adhikari condemned the violence and shared a video on social media showing protesters burning tyres and vandalising the Jalanta Puja Mandal. He highlighted that a group of miscreants, after submitting a deputation at the Shyampur Police Station, went on a rampage and began vandalising Durga Puja pandals.
Case 3: Garhwa, Jharkhand
On October 13, tension broke out during the murti visarjan procession in Garhwa, leading to stone pelting between two groups. Several people were injured, with three individuals being seriously hurt. The district authorities, including the DC and SP, camped overnight to ensure the immersion was completed. They held meetings with both groups, mediating an agreement to avoid future processions in each other’s areas. Legal action is being taken against those involved in the violence.
Case 4: Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh
On October 12, the murti visarjan procession in Kaushambi was attacked by stone pelting after the Muslim community objected to the sprinkling of coloured powder (gulal) at Imam Chowk. Four people were injured, and the crowd began vandalising property. The police arrived and brought the situation under control, with a large force deployed to maintain peace. An FIR was been filed, and a search for the culprits is underway.
Case 5: Kolkata, West Bengal
On October 11, a mob of 50-60 individuals disrupted the Durga Puja celebrations at the New Bengal Sporting Club in the Garden Reach area of Kolkata. The mob threatened the organisers, demanding that Hindu rituals be stopped and even threatened to vandalise the Maa Durga murti. The organisers lodged a complaint with the police, and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari shared videos of the disruption on social media. The mob also used abusive language towards Hindu women. The organisers submitted video evidence to the Garden Reach Police Station.
Case 6: Karimganj, Assam
On October 9, 2024, communal tensions erupted in Karimganj during the Durga Puja festivities when an alleged attempt to desecrate a Durga murti led to a violent clash. Three individuals—Sahabul Ahmed (24), Abdul Ahad (18), and a minor, all residents of Manasangan—were arrested in connection with the incident. The clash took place in Manasangan village as the Bagargool Sarbajanin Durga Puja committee was transporting the murti of Maa Durga to the Puja pandal. During the Maha Shasthi celebrations, someone reportedly threw cooked rice at the murti, sparking a confrontation between two communities. Responding to the Puja committee’s concerns, the district administration arranged for a replacement murti to be brought in.
Case 7: Gonda, Uttar Pradesh
In the Masakanwa Bazaar area of Chapiya Thana, tensions flared late on the night of October 11 during Durga Puja festivities. After the evening’s worship, as children were setting off fireworks near the pandal, a group of Muslim youths suddenly attacked them with sticks. This unexpected assault caused panic among the devotees, leading to a stampede. As the situation escalated, bricks and stones were thrown, injuring several people, including children. Outraged by the attack, the Hindu community demanded action. The police arrived, calmed the situation, and registered a case against 12 named individuals and several unidentified ones. The attack reportedly began when Aslam (son of Lallan), Sultan (son of Azad), and Munna (son of Idrees) emerged from a nearby home and began hurling abuses at the Hindu community, insulting deities, and chasing children with sticks. Before the situation could escalate further, the police intervened, and the accused fled.
Case 8: Gonda, Uttar Pradesh
On October 12, in Gonda city, a stone-pelting incident between two groups marred a Durga murti visarjan procession, fueling widespread anger. The police were informed, and the SP himself arrived at the scene to pacify the agitated crowd. After the situation was under control, the murtis were safely taken for immersion under police protection. Additional police forces were deployed to ensure peace. SP Vinay Jaiswal explained that the tension began when someone reported stones being thrown during the procession. The police successfully calmed the crowd, and the immersion was completed without further incident.
Case 9: Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh
On October 5, in Karamaha Bujurg village, tensions rose during a Durga murti procession as it passed near a religious site. Youths from another community objected to the music being played with the procession and cut the sound system’s wires. When people in the procession protested, the youths damaged several mobile phones. The police arrived at the scene, but the troublemakers had already fled. The Hindu community demanded action against the culprits, and the police assured them of prompt action. The village residents had installed the Durga murti near the local primary school, and while it was being transported from Jungle Dumri Number One, the incident occurred near a mosque in Karamaha Bujurg village. The situation was diffused with police intervention.
Case 10: Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh
On October 7, Islamists attacked a Durga murti procession with stones, injuring several devotees and damaging the murti. Police from multiple stations were deployed to control the situation, and 10 people were taken into custody. The incident occurred in Chhavani Nagar under Padrauna Nagar Palika, as devotees transported the Durga murti from Padrauna to the villages of Ganesh Patti and Bhiswa Lala. Stone-throwing began from rooftops and houses, injuring many and damaging the murti. A confrontation between the two groups followed, and the police were alerted. As tensions escalated, a large group of people protested by blocking the Padrauna-Kasya road, halting traffic for a while. Given the seriousness of the situation, the police deployed additional forces, and the injured were treated. Devotees reported that the attack occurred while they were playing music during the procession, leaving many injured before they realised what was happening.
Case 11: Tripura
On October 6, 2024, a dispute over Durga Puja donations escalated into violence in the Kadamtala block area of North District, Tripura, leading to clashes between two communities and police intervention. The conflict began when a Durga Puja committee allegedly demanded Rs 5000 from a driver who was transporting a patient. The driver refused, citing financial hardship, which reportedly angered members of the local club, who then attacked the vehicle’s occupants. In retaliation, local residents supporting the driver stormed nearby houses and assaulted club members. The altercation soon spread throughout the neighbourhood, with men, women, and children injured in the ensuing violence.
Case 12: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
On the morning of October 10, 2024, the pujari of the Mari Mata temple in Neelmatha, Lucknow, discovered that the murti of Maa Durga had been vandalised. The miscreants had used a grinder to sever the hand of the deity, an act of desecration that deeply hurt the local Hindu community. News of the vandalism spread quickly, and angry devotees gathered at the temple. Inspector Cantt, Gurpreet Kaur, confirmed that a case had been registered, and efforts were underway to apprehend those responsible.
This incident came on the heels of another disturbing event in the Bazar Khala area, where a piece of meat was found outside a temple. Although the police determined it was likely left by accident, possibly by a stray dog, tensions flared. A woman named Alima, who was known for feeding stray dogs, was arrested after it was discovered that a dog may have dragged the meat near the temple.
Case 13: Hyderabad, Telangana
On October 10, during the Devi Sharan Navaratri celebrations at the Nampally Exhibition Grounds in Hyderabad, extremists vandalised the murti of Maa Durga. The attackers reportedly disconnected the electricity supply, destroyed CCTV cameras, and damaged barricades before defacing the murti, severing the arm of the deity and scattering the puja items across the mandap. The Begum Bazar police launched an investigation and filed an FIR, but the culprits were yet to be identified. To prevent further unrest, a large police contingent was deployed at the site. Videos of the desecration spread rapidly on social media, prompting widespread condemnation.
Case 14: Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh
In Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh, violence erupted on October 10 during Durga Puja celebrations when a young man attacked a priest and two devotees with a knife. The incident occurred in the Ramapur Ward area, where the assailant, previously accused of harassing local women, launched his attack. The victims, including the priest Shubham Yadav and devotees Himanshu Sahu and Pushpendra Hirwani, were taken to the district hospital for treatment. According to Shubham Yadav, two men arrived on a motorcycle and immediately began attacking him, leaving him with serious injuries to his wrist and shoulder. Although local residents tried to catch the assailant, he managed to escape.
Case 15: Jamshedpur, Jharkhand
On October 2, 2024, the Barigoda Durga Puja pandal in Jamshedpur was vandalised by antisocial elements. The attackers tore the pandal’s cloth covering before fleeing the scene. This incident followed a theft just days earlier when Rs. 5,000 was stolen from an artisan working on the pandal. Neeraj Singh, General Secretary of the Puja Committee, expressed his frustration, stating that the artisans had left briefly for a meal when the vandals struck. He condemned the acts as a disregard for religious sentiments and urged the police to take strict measures to safeguard the puja. The Parsudih police are investigating, and local residents are calling for stronger security to prevent further disruptions.
Case 16: Sitamarhi, Bihar
On October 12, 2024, in Sitamarhi, Bihar, a violent clash occurred when individuals from a mosque area allegedly pelted stones at a Hindu procession during the murti visarjan event, leading to significant unrest in Dheng village. This attack resulted in the death of a Hindu participant, Kalevar Sahni, and injuries to 12-13 others, including police officers. The incident has heightened communal tensions, prompting a police crackdown on the perpetrators and increased security measures in the region to maintain order.
Case 17: Belgavi, Karnataka
In Solapur village, Belagavi District, an altercation erupted between two groups during Maa Durga murti visarjan ceremony, triggered by the alleged intentional damage to the idol. This conflict resulted in injuries to three individuals and damage to two motorcycles and a car. The local police intervened, using a lathi charge to disperse the crowd and restore order. Enhanced security measures and police patrols have been put in place to maintain peace and prevent further disturbances.
The series of attacks on Durga Puja pandals and murtis across India has sparked widespread anger and concern. As religious tensions rise, there is an urgent need for decisive action to prevent further violence and protect communal harmony.
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