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There is a pattern that has become harder to ignore in the past few years during Eid: There is not a single or huge incidence of violence but spates of sporadic incidents in continuity before and during the festival. And when it's Eid Al-Adha, then add an outcry against keeping goats to the mix.
These incidents did not happen in isolation but in tandem with the rising hate crime incidents against Muslims and right-wing politics as seen in the past years.
Although this is not an exhaustive list, here are some cases of hate speech and other communal cases that led the foundation and worsened uncertainties during Eid Al-Adha 2026.
On the day of Eid, an elderly Muslim man from Meerut, Ehsaan was arrested after making remarks against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a street interview. He had referred to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as a "gunda mukhyamantri" (rowdy chief minister) and extended similar comments to Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.
Shortly after, he was arrested and, in a video, released by the police, he was seen limping and apologising.
A Pig to Oppose 'Qurbani' Ritual
In another episode of brouhaha around goats on 26 May at Mira Road in Thane, members of several Hindutva groups, to protest against the sacrificial practices of Eid, carried a pig inside the Poonam Cluster Society, where the Muslim residents kept goats for the festival.
As part of this agitation, the members also chanted the Hanuman Chalisa in front of the complex's gate, against the goats kept there by the residents. These events culminated in a communal clash between the groups and the Muslim residents, which then led to the removal of the goats by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). A video shared on X shows a mob assaulting a Muslim man, in the presence of the police.
But there was more to it than meets the eye.
Residents of the colony also stated that it was misinformation that fuelled tensions and further communalised the incident. Residents claimed that permissions were taken, measures were followed and the goats had only been housed till they were to be shifted elsewhere for Eid-Al-Adha sacrifice.
Following the protests, a similar incident occurred in the Dindoshi locality, when some people opposed a temporary structure erected by Muslim residents to keep goats.
The local BJP corporator Priti Satam told India Today that such disagreements were not meant to oppose any religious rituals, but stemmed from a "need to maintain health and hygiene as the utmost priority."
He mentioned that such sacrifices hurt the religious sentiments of the residents, alleging that 99% of the residents are vegetarian.
According to the caretaker, however, permission had already been obtained from the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and the setup was not illegal, as per the report.
Many more such incidents came to be seen across Mumbai as there were protests that erupted in Goregaon and Ghatkopar, on the similar intention, as reported by The Times of India.
Following these incidents, there were FIRs filed against the Hindu-right wing protestors for causing enmity between groups, but in some cases, the police also acted against the interests of Muslims, like the action taken by the Mumbai police to revoke the sacrifice permit in Goregaon.
The fundamental rights prescribed by Articles 25, 26, and 30 of the Constitution aim to create a freer and safer place for every citizen to profess, propagate, practice, and manage their religious interests and affairs. However, the rise in such targeted attacks naturally leads to a hostile environment for minorities.
Man Stabbed to Death on Eid
Eid celebrations also turned somber for a family in North West Delhi's Jahangirpuri area when a 26-year-old man was allegedly stabbed to death following an alleged dispute over a cigarette.
Arbaaz, the breadwinner of his family worked at a local jewellery shop. He was stabbed by three minors during a quarrel in C-Block area of Jahangirpuri area on 28 May and later succumbed to his injuries at hospital. All three CCLs (Child in Conflict with Law) have been apprehended by the Police, as per ANI.
According to online reports, while his family was celebrating the festival, Arbaaz got into an argument with some local youths. After the verbal altercation escalated and the accused repeatedly stabbed him with knives, leaving him in a pool of blood.
On Eid, my brother, or perhaps his friend Salman, asked a boy to bring cigarettes from shop. The boy immediately retorted... My brother dismissed him as a child and let him go. He then brought his brothers, Cheema, Saurabh, and others... My brother tried to calm the matter and apologised... They intended to kill and all of them came with knives in their hands, and Saurabh was the primary accused among them, but the police have released him... My brother's wife called me and told me, so I went straight to the hospital and saw that my brother was in very bad condition. My brother died 10-15 minutes after I arrived.Brother of the Victim to ANI
A murder case has been registered under Sections 103(1)/126/3(5) BNS at PS Jahangirpuri as per the local police.
Prior to Eid, in another incident in Delhi's Pritampura on 21 May, a mob led by BJP MLA Karnail Singh demolished the walls of what he alleged is an "illegal madrasa" built on land belonging to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
The DCP Vikram Singh told Hindustan Times that the matter concerned "a private property whose ownership is under dispute in the high court." The DDA later confirmed that the land belonged to the agency but stated that no direction had been given to demolish the structure.
"I believe in Sanatan Dharma and will not let any illegal madarsa be built in our area. I had waited for the authorities to act for four months, but when they didn't, we had to take matters into our own hands. I take responsibility and am not scared of any repercussions," Singh told the Hindustan Times.
The increasing otherisation, in the form of constant surveillance, is becoming more visible across various areas at the same time.
The communalisation and obsession around meat also came to the forefront in Meerut.
In another incident, a man named Puneet created communal tension after he reportedly placed a bag of meat outside his own house and called police with a false complaint, officials said.
The incident took place on Eid in Mavimira village under the Daurala police station area. Puneet had informed the police helpline that a bag filled with meat had been found outside his house.
The meat had accidentally dropped out of a passerby’s bag, and Puneet reportedly placed it near the main road outside his house, CCTV footage revealed.
Spike in Cow Vigilante's Actions, Hate Speeches
Cow vigilantes too became active before Eid.
On 20 May, a mob of cow vigilantes affiliated with Hindu Dharma Sena, stopped trucks carrying goats for Eid-Al-Adha in Vadodara, Gujarat, almost a week before the festival.
An altercation broke out when the mob was confronted by the members of AIMIM led by Zubair Pathan. Pathan told the GujjuDarshan News that there were no cows in the trucks and that the mob abused and assaulted the drivers. Pathan also mentioned that the police later asked them to file a complaint and stated that the trucks would be released.
Amidst the growing tensions and doubts, on 22 May, the Chairman of the Islamic Centre of India, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali, issued a 12-point guideline regarding the festival, which included a direction to not slaughter or sacrifice any "illegal cattle," while also maintaining a safe environment by sacrificing the goats in non-public spaces.
Even then, this wave of constant suspicion is especially being seen around Eid Al-Adha, through a trend of increased vigilance and hostility towards the Muslims, especially through propaganda around beef consumption and transportation.
On 21 May, in the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, the VHP General Secretary Surendra Jain, in a video posted, alleged that during Eid Al-Adha, there was a provocation of Hindus by the Muslim population through cow slaughter, and warned that if they do not understand "the language of the law," then "another language" will be used.
A similar hate speech event was observed in Sodala, Jaipur, on 21 May when BJP MLA Balmukund Acharya called Muslims, "vidharmis", contrasting them with the sanatan practices of non-violence.
The leader describes Muslims as having a demonic nature, referring to Eid Al-Adha, and in the speech also warned that the Sanatan must stand for their religion and nation or "risk becoming like the 57 countries of the 'chadar-wale' and 'topi-wale'.
In another video, a leader from VHP-Bajrang Dal in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, is seen declaring that they could "take anyone's life for the sake of the cow." Such a speech, as the channel reports, was made against cattle slaughter ahead of Bakri-Eid.