A Muslim family in northern India has been violently attacked by Hindu nationalist groups after a video of a minor girl saying she would eat beef went viral online.
The assault took place in the Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh and was carried out by members of the Bajrang Dal and Hindu Raksha Dal, two hardline Hindutva organisations with a history of violence against Muslims and Christians.
According to local media, the mob — led by known Hindu vigilante Daksh Chaudhary — stormed into the girl’s home in the Tulsi Niketan area late last week. They shouted Islamophobic slurs, raised hate slogans, and hurled obscene language at the girl’s mother.
Witnesses said the attackers tried to break into the house, accusing the family of “insulting Hindu beliefs” after the video circulated on social media.
Accused vigilante at large
The main accused, Daksh Chaudhary, is a familiar figure in the Hindutva ecosystem. He has previously been booked for hate crimes, including attacks on Rohingya Muslim refugees and provocative acts inside mosques.
Despite multiple criminal cases against him, Chaudhary continues to operate freely and has built an online following known for sharing anti-Muslim content.
Ghaziabad police confirmed that a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against Chaudhary and several others, including Annu Chaudhary, Akku Pandit, Amit Thakur and Prakash Singh.
“At present, two of the accused, Annu and Amit, have been arrested, while the main accused, Daksh, remains absconding,” said Atul Kumar Singh, Assistant Commissioner of Police in Shalimar Garden.
He added that officers are tracing Daksh, who continues to post defiant videos online, saying he has “no regrets” and will “continue fighting for Sanatan Dharma” — a phrase used by Hindu nationalists to describe their ideology.
Forced apology and hate campaign
Following the assault, Pinki Chaudhary — head of the Hindu Raksha Dal and known for his inflammatory speeches against Muslims — joined the campaign.
In several videos, he called for the girl’s arrest and even suggested demolishing her family’s house, a tactic frequently used by authorities in Uttar Pradesh against Muslim families accused of “provocation.”
“We are fighting for Sanatan Dharma with full strength. Whatever happens, happens. We can go to any extent,” he said.
A separate video later uploaded by Daksh Chaudhary showed the minor girl appearing bruised and forced to apologise, reportedly in the presence of police officers.
“If you speak against Hindutva, this is the fate you’ll meet,” Daksh said in another video. “She was barking so much. Now she has been silenced.”
Police register cases against both sides
A local police officer from Tila Mod station told Maktoob that officers had registered cases “against both parties.”
“As soon as the video went viral, we took suo motu cognisance,” the officer said. “One FIR was filed against the girl for making provocative comments about Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and another against the men from Bajrang Dal and Hindu Raksha Dal for reaching the girl’s house and abusing the family.”
He added that the girl, a Muslim minor, will be sent for counselling — a move critics say reflects the double standards of Indian law enforcement when handling Islamophobic violence.
“Two out of five accused have been booked under Sections 191(2), 352, and 79 of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita,” the officer said. These sections relate to incitement, assault, and acts endangering public safety.
He also acknowledged that no formal complaint had been filed by either side.
Rising Hindutva vigilantism
The incident highlights the growing climate of vigilantism and hate speech under the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttar Pradesh, led by Hindu monk and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath — a prominent figure in India’s Hindutva movement.
In recent years, mobs claiming to defend “Hindu pride” have attacked Muslims for alleged offences ranging from eating beef to interfaith relationships.
Rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly accused Indian authorities of ignoring such attacks, and in some cases, enabling them through biased policing and rhetoric.
For the Muslim family in Ghaziabad, the trauma remains fresh and justice uncertain. Police say further arrests are likely, though no FIR has yet been filed by the victims.
c. 5Pillars
