Since the departure of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, there has been a notable increase in anti-Muslim sentiment in India, with heightened calls for revenge linked to alleged attacks by revolutionary students against Hindus in Bangladesh.
Just three days after Hasina’s exit, Hindu extremists, led by Daksh Chaudhary of the far-right Hindu Raksha Dal, attacked Rohingya refugee camps in Delhi. Footage of the incident shows extremists hurling slurs and shouting: “They are all Bangladeshis. Go away from here. Our sisters are being raped in Bangladesh, and these people are living in our country! Expel them.”
On the same day, members of Hindu Raksha Dal also targeted slum dwellers, accusing them of being Bangladeshis.
The attackers used sticks to beat residents and set fire to their shanties, claiming the violence was retaliation for alleged attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.
In a slum near Galdhar Railway Station in Ghaziabad, bloodstains, ashes, and remnants of belongings were found, but no victims. The Muslim families had fled following the violence.
Local Hindu residents reported threats from the mob: “You are helping Muslims as a Hindu. You should have joined us and beaten them. Stay away, or we will beat you too.”
In response, some Hindu neighbors in Galdhar have raised saffron flags featuring Hindu deities on their tents to avoid further attacks, as instructed by the mob.
On August 11, at Hanuman Mandir in Dadar, Mumbai, far-right Hindu leaders, including Dhanashree Kelshikar of Sanatan Sanstha and Ranjeet Savarkar, delivered anti-Muslim speeches. Kelshikar urged,
“Throw these Bangladeshi and Rohingya out. They are increasing jihad in India and making Hindus unsafe.”
Ranjeet Savarkar advocated for rifle training and economic boycotts, advising, “Boycott everything with a halal certificate and only buy from Hindus.”
These speeches were part of a protest organized by Hindu Janajagruti Samiti. Since August 11, there have been numerous reports of violence against Muslims across various Indian states, including Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Maharashtra, marked by provocative gatherings and increasing hostility.