The report said the pattern of incidents in May points to a broader climate of intimidation around Muslim religious practices
NEW DELHI — Citing a sharp spike in communal hostility during the fortnight around Eid Al-Adha (May 11–29), the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) has documented 46 incidents of violence, intimidation, hate speech and harassment targeting Muslims.
The report said 30 of the 46 incidents were directly linked to Eid Al-Adha (Bakrid). Muslims faced restrictions, threats, surveillance, protests and attacks related to animal sacrifice, cattle transportation and Eid prayers.
Established in 2006, APCR promotes democratic dialogue and provides free legal assistance, financial support and legal education through seminars, workshops and public meetings.
Released on Friday, the report said the pattern of incidents in May points to a broader climate of intimidation around Muslim religious practices during Eid Al-Adha.
APCR recorded 32 incidents of intimidation and harassment, six cases of hate speech, three physical assaults, three attacks on property and two incidents resulting in deaths.
The group said the escalation began on May 11, when Bajrang Dal members allegedly intercepted vehicles in Hyderabad on suspicion of cattle transport ahead of Bakrid.
The incidents continued across multiple states until May 29, when a man in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut allegedly placed meat outside his residence and filed a complaint in an attempt to trigger communal tension by linking it to Eid-related sacrifice.
The report highlighted that 22 Eid-related incidents occurred over five days, from May 25 to May 29, coinciding with the festival.
Three Muslims died during the period, according to APCR. One Muslim man died following alleged custodial torture in Gujarat after being accused of cow slaughter. Two Muslims were lynched by a mob in Assam over allegations of cattle theft.
The report notes that the Assam lynching occurred a day after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma publicly reiterated a policy of “zero tolerance” towards cattle smuggling.
APCR identified cow vigilantism as a recurring feature of the incidents. Several cases involved allegations of cattle transportation, cattle theft, cow slaughter or smuggling. In Haryana, two Muslim men were allegedly assaulted and forced to drink cow urine over accusations of cow smuggling.
In Telangana, vigilantes reportedly vandalised a truck and injured three Muslims despite discovering that the vehicle was carrying plywood rather than cattle.
APCR also alleged that elected representatives and Hindutva organisations played a role in mobilising opposition to Muslim religious practices.
The report names members of the BJP, Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad among those involved in campaigns against animal sacrifice and Eid prayers.
It points to several incidents in Maharashtra where political leaders and local representatives publicly opposed the keeping of sacrificial animals, demanded restrictions on sacrifice and pressured civic authorities to withdraw permissions granted to Muslim residents.
Several state administrations issued directives regulating Eid observances, including restrictions on public sacrifice, transportation of animals, disposal of sacrificial remains and prayers on roads.
APCR argued that such measures, along with statements made by political leaders, contributed to portraying Muslim religious practices as a law-and-order issue.
The report also documented opposition to Eid prayers in several parts of the country.
These included protests against Eid prayers at the Taj Mahal, objections to prayers in public spaces and an incident in Maharashtra’s Kalyan where Hanuman Chalisa was recited while Muslims were offering Eid prayers.
According to APCR, some incidents appeared aimed at manufacturing communal tensions.
These included slogan-shouting in Muslim neighbourhoods, attempts to disrupt religious observances and actions intended to generate hostility around Eid practices.
The report cites the Meerut case as one of the most significant examples, alleging that a Hindu resident deliberately placed meat outside his own house before filing a police complaint in an attempt to implicate Muslims and provoke communal unrest.
