Muslims attacked in India’s Hyderabad, forced to chant Hindu slogans
Armed mob targets Muslim youth during Eid week; rising anti-Muslim violence met with silence from authorities and emboldened Hindu vigilantes
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Armed Hindu mobs assaulted Muslim youth in the southern city of Hyderabad earlier this week, beating them with sticks and swords and forcing them to chant Hindu nationalist slogans — part of a broader pattern of escalating anti-Muslim violence in India.
The attack occurred late on June 10 near a hotel in the Raidurgam area, during the week of Eid al-Azha. According to Clarion India, the perpetrators vandalized shops and then attacked a group of Muslim men, demanding they chant “Jai Shri Ram” — a phrase frequently used in mob violence to assert Hindu supremacy. Those who refused were brutally beaten.
“This wasn’t random,” said a witness. “They were searching for Muslims.”
The victims, reportedly from a nearby neighborhood, suffered serious injuries. “We wait for work every day. That night, they made us say their slogans. My friend is still in hospital,” one survivor said.
This assault is part of a wider pattern of attacks targeting Muslims during religious periods. On June 8, a Muslim auto-rickshaw driver transporting cattle was assaulted by self-identified cow vigilantes. They beat him, looted his belongings, and damaged his vehicle. In a separate incident, a truck carrying animal waste was set ablaze in another area of the city.
These events have sparked outrage, with locals accusing both the police and Telangana’s state government of inaction. Though authorities claim over 25 people have been arrested, residents say accountability is rare — especially when the accused are affiliated with Hindu nationalist groups.
“If Muslims had done this, the crackdown would be swift and brutal,” said a university student. “But right-wing mobs act without fear.”
The Telangana government, led by Congress leader Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, has been criticized for remaining silent. Community members say this silence signals tacit approval. “We voted for a secular government. What we got is cowardice,” said an activist from the Old City.
The attacks have heightened fear among Muslims, especially drivers and delivery workers who work late hours. “Every time my brother leaves at night, we worry,” said Shaista Begum, whose family depends on night-shift work for survival.
Rights advocates say the pattern in Hyderabad reflects India’s wider descent into normalized vigilante violence — where Muslims are targeted with little political consequence and often with state complicity.
“This is no longer spontaneous hate,” said social worker Farooq Hussain. “It’s organized. It’s ideological. And it’s being tolerated.”
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