Mob vandalizes Muslim shrine in northern India
Attack on 150-year-old shrine in Uttar Pradesh condemned as deliberate provocation amid rising anti-Muslim campaigns
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Tensions flared in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh state after a 19th-century Muslim shrine was vandalised by members of Hindu extremist groups, in what community leaders say was a calculated attempt to inflame religious divisions.
The attack took place on August 11 in Fatehpur district, where witnesses say a mob armed with hammers and iron rods stormed the shrine of Nawab Abdus Samad, damaging its walls and railings before fleeing.
Video footage shows the crowd waving saffron flags — a symbol associated with Hindutva extremism — and chanting “Jai Shree Ram,” a rallying cry frequently used during anti-Muslim violence.
According to local media reports, the site is officially registered as a protected tomb under Indian land records. However, Hindutva outfits, including affiliates of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) such as the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), claim it was built over an ancient Hindu temple.
They have vowed to conduct Hindu rituals at the site during Janmashtami celebrations on August 16.
BJP’s Fatehpur district president cited lotus carvings as “proof” of the site’s Hindu origins, while VHP leaders accused authorities of ignoring demands to “restore” the site as a temple. Muslim residents say the attack deliberately targeted a place of worship that has long been regarded as a symbol of shared heritage.
The incident has drawn political backlash, with opposition parties including the Samajwadi Party and Congress accusing the BJP of shielding perpetrators and fostering a climate of intolerance. Police have increased security around the site, erected barricades, and deployed armed units to prevent further clashes.
The shrine, believed to be over 150 years old, has been visited by both Muslims and Hindus for generations. Its desecration is part of a broader Hindutva campaign seeking to seize or demolish Muslim religious sites across India — a movement analysts say is erasing the country’s pluralist traditions in favour of a Hindu supremacist vision.
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