'FIRs for Chicken Biryani, Namaz & Iftar': Inside Rising Hate Crimes This Ramzan

(Exposing the networks that spread hate is a key part of The Quint's reportage. Help us do more such stories by supporting our Uncovering Hate project.)In Varanasi, 14 Muslim men broke their fast in a small iftar on a boat. But they were soon arrested for eating 'chicken biryani' and 'hurting religious sentiments.' Similar harassment and even cases of hateful genocidal calls against Muslims have seen an uptick in Ramzan this year.These targeted attacks against Muslims during Ramzan comes two months after Hindutva outfits assaulted Christians during Christmas 2025. Ramzan 2026 and in the run-up to Eid, several cases of communal violence have surfaced in different parts of the country. The Quint has tried to compile these cases, though this is not an exhaustive list as cases continue to be reported.There are two other developments that have contributed to this spike in hate against Muslims this Ramzan. First, the hate against Muslims for mourning the assassination of Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Second, the Tarun murder case in Delhi's Uttam Nagar which has been communalised, with calls for mass killing of Muslims.Allahabad HC Grants Police Protection For Muslim Man In Bareilly Namaz CaseIn the Varanasi case, a video purportedly showed the men eating chicken biryani on a boat and allegedly throwing the bones in the Ganga river. But, the video that has gone viral online does not show the men throwing leftovers in the river.BJP Yuva Morcha's city unit chief Rajat Jaiswal filed a complaint at Kotwali police station on Monday, 16 March. Jaiswal alleged, "The Ganga holds deep and unshakeable faith for the followers of Sanatan Dharma. Thousands of devotees from across the country and the world visit Kashi every day to perform rituals and offer prayers using Ganga water.""In such a situation, eating biryani on a boat in the middle of the river and throwing its leftovers into the water is completely inappropriate. This act appears to have been done with the intention of hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus," he said, PTI reported.Kotwali ACP Vijay Pratap Singh said that after the allegations were raised, they immediately deployed teams to different places, "considering the seriousness of the matter." "We have arrested a total of 14 people as of now, and appropriate action will be taken against them," he told ANI.The FIR was lodged under BNS sections 298 (injuring or defiling a place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class), 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 196(1) B (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place etc), 270 (public nuisance), 279 (fouling water of public spring or reservoir) and Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.On 13 March in Pune, coincidentally, 14 Muslim men had gathered to break their Ramzan fast in Askarwadi, Bopdev Ghat.But the Muslim men were reportedly attacked by a mob of nearly 200 people. “The youths had assembled at an open spot near a pond in the area to have an iftar meal when a large group of men approached them and questioned their presence. The attackers allegedly asked what they were doing at the location and whether the land belonged to them. Before the youths could respond, the mob allegedly surrounded them and assaulted them with sticks and iron rods,” one of the victims said, as per Hindustan Times.An FIR was then filed relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Arms Act, and the Bombay Police Act.There have been more incidents of outrage against Iftar parties this time. Recently, members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal also took to the streets in Bhopal, protesting against Iftar party held at RD Memorial College on 14 March.They proceeded to chant Hanuman Chalisa and sprinkle 'Ganga jal' to 'purify' the area.Uttam Nagar Ground Report| क्या तरुण की मौत को सांप्रदायिक रंग दिया जा रहा?Police have arrested a student, Khalid Pradhan (Khalid Mewati) for allegedly offering namaz in an open area of a private university in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut, officials said on 16 March.Pradhan was arrested following protests by local Hindu groups over a purported video surfaced around Holi celebrations that showed a group of students offering namaz on the university campus.The university administration suspended Pradhan and three security personnel over the incident and called for police and administrative action against Khalid Pradhan, who allegedly uploaded the video, reported PTI.In February, authorities at Lucknow University shut down the only Muslim prayer hall on campus which is inside the 19th‑century Lal Baradari building. They citing concerns about its structural integrity, without offering an alternative space for students to pray during Ramzan. Then, Muslim students offered Namaz outside the Lal Baradari mosque and as an act of solidarity, Hindu students stood guard around the Muslims while they prayed. But this is backfired as 13 students of Lucknow University were then issued notices for offering Namaz at Lal Baradari. They have been asked to Each student must submit a ₹50,000 bond and two ₹50,000 sureties to maintain peace for one year.The notice cited a report filed by Sub-Inspector Ashwani Kumar Mishra, the Inspector in-charge of Hasanganj police station. It reads, "He has made it clear that the above mentioned opponents deliberately tried to stop the construction work going on at Lal Bakhwari located in the university and they sat on the road in front of the Divyang Canteen in the university and raised slogans and protested and the students tried to offer Namaz in a public place due to which tension is prevailing as there is a full possibility of disturbance of peace and order and social harmony being disturbed."During Ramzan in February this year, Kashmiri students at CT University in Ludhiana alleged that they were denied food in the campus canteen and were threatened with eviction and cancellation of admissions after seeking basic arrangements for sehri and iftar. During a confrontation, the university’s vice‑chancellor Nitin Tandon was seen abusing them.“In sab ko baahar nikalo, b***c***. In sab ka admission cancelled,” said Tandon, visibly angry and raising his finger in the air in the video.The Vice-Chancellor was then removed from the University, his services have been terminated.'Jihadis in India Beating Their Chest': Hate Against Muslims Mourning KhameneiThere has been a series of killings that have also been reported this Ramzan. On 2 March, a 28 year-old Muslim truck driver, Aamir Khan from Palwal district in Haryana died in a violent clash near Bhiwadi in Rajasthan. The deceased’s family alleged that people associated with the Hindutva organisation Bajrang Dal shot Aamir dead. The family stated that he was waiting near a mosque with his vehicle when he was attacked.A 12 year-old boy Unaiz Khan was also shot dead in Lucknow's Krishnagar at his friend's place where had gone after breaking his fast. He was shot point-black in his head. An FIR was filed and the main accused Navneet has been sent to juvenile court too.In Bihar’s Madhubani district, a Muslim woman identified as Roshan Khatoon was allegedly beaten to death by a mob after she approached a village head seeking help in a dispute. As per local accounts, she was tied to a pole, assaulted by a group of people, and forced to drink cow urine and alcohol before succumbing to her injuries.In another case from Bihar, this time from Darbhanga district, a 65-year-old Muslim, Abdul Salam was beaten to death with an iron rod in Jhagarua village under Jamalpur police station after he objected to abusive remarks against Muslims during a local dispute. Salam was reportedly on his way to his shop and was passing by when the dispute took place.A 60 year-old Aas Mohammad was shot dead in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh following a dispute with another family on Holi. Police had detained the main accused, Pinkal Pandey and a few of his associates. They had previously been involved in a dispute. Things became heated on Holi after they got into an argument over throwing colors and then Aas was shot dead. Aas and his son were reportedly on their way to deliver food to his other sons who work at a brick kiln.These were more hate crime cases reported this time, some which were openly carried out on video without any fear of law. Case in point, the Rudrapur-Uttarakhand incident.In February, a Muslim man named Shaheed was kicked, punched and brutally beaten with a wooden stick by Arvind Sharma, all on camera, while he was offering namaz alone on a farm land.The attacker forced him to chant “Jai Shri Ram” and abused him, shouting: “Namaaz ki ma ki c***. Meri Brahman ki zameen pe tu namaaz kaise padh raha hai?” (F*** your namaaz. How dare you offer namaaz on my Brahmin land?).Udham Singh Nagar had filed a case but Sharma is yet to be arrested. He was seen in a recent video, questioning a Muslim girl over her religion and asking her to chant 'Jai Sri Ram.'Amid the heightened communal tensions in Uttam Nagar, Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) has filed a plea in the Delhi High CourtRepresenting APCR, Senior Advocate Nitya Ramkrishnan said that threats are being extended to the Muslim residents of the area, that a "khoon ki holi" (Holi of blood) will be played this Eid.Due to these genocidal calls and the unsafe environment that has been created for Muslims ahead of Eid, several have left their homes from the area, reports stated.Apart from this, calls for mass killings and rioting are made post-Tarun's death in the area. These are the kind of violent, threatening remarks being made in the videos below:"Ab Jihadi sudhar jao nahi toh sudhaara jayega...Ye Mullo, Kathmullo ko, jab dukaan khole toh wahi jalao inko...""Humein 5 minutes dedo...ye saale Bh**dwe..5 minutes chahiye Sanataniyo ko, maala japna jaante hain toh bhaala chalana bhi jaante hain.""Humare Guru ishaara karde, 1 ke badle 108 jaan lelenge. Ye mutthi bhar police humein rokegi? Naga Sadhus ko?"In the immediate aftermath of Tarun's death, Lalit Sharma of the Hindu Raksha Dal was the first to reach the ground and communalise the issue."This Eid, we will play Holi of blood," he told a crowd.The list of hate crimes or targeted attacks does not end here.Several Muslim families in parts of Meghalaya's West Garo Hills have reportedly packed their belongings and left their homes.Preceding this, shops and homes of of Bengali-origin Muslim vendors in Garo Hills, Meghalaya, were torched by Garo community members after rumours spread that Muslim candidates had filed nominations for Garo Hills Autonomous District Council elections.Tura Jama mosque was also torched in the violence.Another mosque in Tikri Brahmin village, Palwal, Haryana, was set ablaze in the early hours of 11 March when unidentified individuals reportedly broke a window and poured petrol inside while the Imam and three worshippers were asleep during Itikaf, (a spritiual period in the last 10 days of Ramzan dedicated to prayer and worship).'He Went to Save His Son, But They Shot Him Dead': Inside A Hate Crime in Delhi

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'FIRs for Biryani, Namaz & Iftar': Muslims Faced Several Attacks This Ramzan

Apart from these FIRs, there have been genocidal calls for mass killings, 'Khoon ki Holi' ahead of Eid this time.

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Topics: Varanasi Communal Pune