Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes Spike in India After Pahalgam Attack
A wave of hate crimes and expulsions targeting Muslims swept across India in May 2025, following the Pahalgam attack, raising alarm over deepening communal divisions and state complicity.
কাশ্মীরের পাহালগামে হামলার পর, গত মে মাসে ভারতের বিভিন্ন রাজ্যে মুসলিমদের বিরুদ্ধে ঘৃণামূলক হামলা, উচ্ছেদ ও নির্যাতন বেড়ে যায়। যা দেশটির ভেতর-বাইরে সাম্প্রদায়িক সম্পর্ক ও সম্প্রীতির জন্য হুমকি বলে মনে করছেন অনেকে। রাষ্ট্রীয় ভূমিকা ও নীরবতা নিয়ে গভীর উদ্বেগ দেখা দিয়েছে।
May 2025 witnessed a surge in communal attacks and hate campaigns targeting Muslim minorities in India after the Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22. In the two weeks after the attack, India Hate Lab (IHL) recorded 64 in-person hate speech incidents against the Muslim minorities across 16 states. A separate compilation by the Association of Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) documented at least 184 hate crimes targeting Muslims between April 22 and May 8, highlighting a sharp and alarming surge in anti-Muslim violence nationwide.
This monthly Insighta report summarizes key developments affecting minority communities in India during May 2025. The events are presented in order of their occurrence.
India pushes Indian Muslims and Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh
May 7–9: India’s Border Security Force (BSF) reportedly pushed Indian Muslims and Rohingya refugees across remote border points into Bangladesh, reports local media. By labeling Muslims living in India as Bangladeshis, attempts were made to forcefully push them into the neighbouring Muslim majority country.
The chief of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) said that BSF forced 280 individuals between May 7 and May 9 through isolated, hard-to-monitor locations in the border. He also noted that the BSF were trying to push in another 200 to 300 people.
India allegedly throws 40 Rohingya refugees into the sea
May 8: Indian authorities forcibly threw 40 UNHCR-registered Rohingya refugees, including women, children, and the elderly, into international waters near Myanmar, forcing them to swim to safety with life jackets, confirms a UN OHCHR press release. According to a media report, these refugees were detained by Delhi Police officials under the pretext of collecting biometric data.
BJP Minister insults female Muslim Colonel calling “terrorists’ sister”
May 14: Madhya Pradesh BJP leader and State Cabinet Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah made derogatory remarks about Indian Army officer Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, saying that PM Narendra Modi had sent a “sister from the terrorists’ community” as those in Pakistan to avenge the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Kashmir. Colonel Qureshi conducted regular press briefings, sharing details of the 'Operation Sindoor' by Indian armed forces in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Signboards banning Muslim entry seen in Rajasthan villages
May 18: In the aftermath of communal violence in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district, signboards prohibiting the entry of Muslims have emerged in several villages. Each signboard carried the message: “It has been decided by the entire community that Muslims are strictly prohibited from entering this village. Jai Shri Ram.”
Muslim professor arrested over social media post
May 18: Ali Khan Mahmudabad, an associate professor at Ashoka University, was arrested for criticizing Operation Sindoor in a social media post. Rights groups condemned the arrest as a violation of academic freedom and a targeting of Muslims.
Professor Mahmudabad was detained based on a complaint by a member of BJP’s youth wing. Many are calling it a blatant attack on academic freedom and alleging that he was targeted due to his Muslim identity. Aakar Patel, the chair of Amnesty International India, said, “Mahmudabad is in jail not because of what he wrote but because he's Muslim.”
The Wire, an Indian media outlet, writes, “The signal sought to be sent to Muslim intellectuals is clear: their right to free expression disappears if they criticise the government.”
Mass demolition of Muslim homes in Ahmedabad
May 19: Over 7,000 houses—mostly owned by Muslims—were demolished in Ahmedabad of India under the pretext of removing “illegal Bangladeshis.” While many of the displaced residents claim they have lived there for decades, reports suggest Hindu houses in the same land were left untouched.
Muslim man harassed by Hindutva mob in West Bengal
May 22: In Cooch Behar, a Muslim man was publicly humiliated by a mob carrying tricolour flags for posting a video critical of PM Narendra Modi. The mob forced him to perform sit-ups and chant slogans such as ‘Pakistan Murdabad.’
Hindutva group seizes mosque site in Odisha
May 22: Members of the VHP and Bajrang Dal hoisted saffron flags atop an under-construction mosque on privately owned land in Jagatsinghpur, Odisha. In a video, the group was seen declaring that the site would become their district office.
Bangladesh business murder misframed as Islamist attack
May 22: Tariqul Islam, a BNP-affiliated local farmers’ leader was murdered over a fish enclosure dispute in Jashore, Bangladesh. The main suspect, Piltu Biswas, who had a dispute with Tariqul Islam, fled after the incident. In response, enraged locals attacked and set fire to several homes belonging to Piltu and his relatives, looting some as well. Indian media falsely framed it as an Islamist attack on Hindus, despite local confirmation that the conflict was not communal but stemmed from a business rivalry.
Young Muslim man killed in suspected hate crime in Haryana
May 24: Firdaus Alam alias Asjad Babu, a Muslim youth from Kishanganj, Bihar, was brutally lynched in Haryana for wearing a skull cap, a traditional cap worn by Muslim men. He succumbed to head injuries inflicted by a man who knocked off his cap and struck him with a stick.
According to a report, while on his way to meet a friend, an assailant identified as Shishu Lala reportedly knocked off his skull cap. As Asjad Babu bent to pick it up, he was struck on the head with a stick. He later died from his injuries at a Rohtak hospital.
Hindutva mob assaults Muslim men for carrying meat in Aligarh
May 24: Four Muslim men were brutally assaulted by a Hindutva mob while transporting meat in Aligarh district in Uttar Pradesh. The mob also set their vehicle on fire, allegedly in the presence of police. Video footage circulating on social media show the victims partially stripped and subjected to severe beatings by the mob.
BSF pushes 14 Indian Muslim citizens into Bangladesh
May 27: BSF pushed 14 Indian Muslim nationals into Bangladesh through the Baraibari border of Roumari upazila of Kurigram. All 14 people were identified as Indian citizens and Muslims.
Jiten Chandra Das, a journalist who was on the spot, said, “The BSF fired four rounds in the air when the 14 individuals were refusing to cross into the Bangladeshi territory, shouting, ‘we are Indians’.’’
About the Author:
Mohammed Raihan is a staff contributor to the Insighta. He writes on history, culture, language, economy and geopolitics, uncovering untold narratives that connect the past and present. He can be reached at mohammed_raihan@theinsighta.com
 | A guest post by
|