Hindu extremists vandalize Sufi shrine in India
Attack on Baba Bulleh Shah shrine in Uttarakhand highlights rising assaults on Muslim religious spaces under encroachment claims by Hindu extremist groups
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A shrine dedicated to 18th-century Sufi poet Baba Bulleh Shah was vandalized in the northern Indian hill town of Mussoorie, in an attack that local residents and Muslim groups say reflects a broader pattern of targeting Islamic religious sites under the guise of “illegal encroachment.”
The shrine was damaged by men linked to the militant Hindu outfit Hindu Raksha Dal, who were filmed chanting Hindu religious slogans while vandalizing the shrine’s interior. Members of the group later publicly claimed responsibility, asserting that the structure stood on land belonging to a private school and describing the attack as an act of “removal,” not vandalism.
Local Muslim committees and residents rejected that claim, saying the shrine had existed for years with due permission and had hosted peaceful Urs (Sufi festival) gatherings attended by devotees across religious lines. They accused authorities of failing to act despite prior threats issued by Hindu Raksha Dal leaders.
Police registered a criminal case against named individuals under sections related to promoting enmity and defiling a place of worship. Officials said the accused had been identified through video footage, but no arrests had been made at the time of reporting.
The attack followed earlier public threats by a state-level leader of the Hindu Raksha Dal, who warned that his group would demolish the shrine if authorities did not intervene, claiming the area to be “Hindu holy land.”
Rights advocates say such language mirrors tactics increasingly used by Hindu supremacist groups to delegitimize Muslim religious presence by framing shrines and mosques as unlawful occupations.
Analysts note that accusations of encroachment have become a common pretext for vigilante actions against Muslim sites in several Indian states, often accompanied by religious slogans and followed by delayed or limited police action. These incidents, they say, raise questions about selective enforcement of the law and the shrinking space for India’s syncretic traditions.
Police said the site has been secured, and further legal action would depend on the outcome of the investigation, as pressure mounts on authorities to demonstrate accountability in cases involving religious violence.
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