Cow Vigilantism and Anti-Muslim Violence Cast Shadow Over Eid al-Adha in India
New Delhi:Despite the sacred occasion of Eid al-Adha, Muslims across India were unable to celebrate in peace, as Hindu nationalist mobs, emboldened by the Modi government, unleashed terror in the name of “cow protection.” Muslims were attacked, arrested, and subjected to social boycotts, as religious freedom was severely trampled upon.
In multiple states, Hindu extremists targeted Muslims who were performing animal sacrifices, using violence, arrests, and social exclusion to intimidate them. The rise of cow vigilantes under the protection of the Modi administration has made Muslim identity appear to be the greatest crime in the country.
According to *The Times of India*, on the day after Eid, Hindu mobs set fire to a vehicle carrying animal remains in the Jalpally area of Hyderabad. The attackers, chanting “Jai Shri Ram,” assaulted the driver, stole his mobile phone and money, and even pelted stones at the police.
In Karnataka’s Kamal Nagar, shops were forcefully shut down under the pretext of cow slaughter, instilling fear and panic in the area. *The Times of India* further reported that four Muslims were arrested in Bidar for similar charges.
*The Indian Express* reported that in Madhya Pradesh, seven Muslims were arrested for allegedly slaughtering a calf during Eid, with 32 kilograms of meat seized by the authorities.
In Assam, over 16 Muslims were arrested under the Assam Cattle Protection Act in five districts, as per *The Hindu Times*. In Odisha, three Muslim youths were detained near the Jagannath Temple on charges of cow slaughter, while three others were arrested after communal tensions in the Abhrasingh village.
*Scroll.in* reported that in Mathura, Hindu groups sparked a riot near the Eidgah after allegedly finding meat from sacrificed animals. Police arrested 11 Muslims and placed the area under heavy surveillance.
Congress leader Shahjahan Mian faced an attack on his home and legal charges after he criticized the ban on animal slaughter. *The Indian Express* described this as yet another example of BJP’s vindictive politics.
A report by *The Wire* highlighted that 97% of hate crimes related to cow protection have occurred under Modi’s rule. State-sponsored police brutality and the unchecked violence of Hindutva groups have left Muslims vulnerable and fearing for their existence.
Even during Eid, the shadow of Hindutva extremism has left Muslims in tears. The silence of the Modi government and the biased actions of the police send a clear message: being Muslim in India has become the greatest crime.
The rule of Hindutva is no longer confined to slogans or election rallies; it has now infiltrated daily life and religious practices, with state policies actively targeting religious rituals like animal sacrifice. This direct assault on the act of sacrifice is a blatant negation of Modi’s hollow claims of “Sabka Vikas” (Development for All).
