Members of the right-wing Bajrang Dal and Hindu Raksha Dal brutally attacked a minor Muslim girl and her family, while hurling obscene abuses and slurs against Islam, after being infuriated over a video in which the girl had said she would eat beef in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, while the police arrested two of the accused; the main instigator remains at large.
The assault, marked by Islamophobic slogans and vulgar language, took place in the Tulsi Niketan area of rural Ghaziabad late last week and has triggered outrage over the rising culture of Hindutva vigilantism and alleged police leniency in the state, Maktoob Media reported.
The mob, led by Hindutva figure Daksh Chaudhary and joined by his associates, identified as Prakash Singh, Annu, Akku, Amit, and Abhishek, stormed into the house of the girl, attempting to break in while targeting the family with hate-filled invective.
The attackers, reportedly driven by online provocation, attempted to intimidate the family.
The main accused, Daksh Chaudhary, is a controversial figure known for his involvement in several communal incidents, including assaulting former JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar, attacking Rohingya refugees, and provoking unrest by entering a mosque wearing shoes.
Despite facing multiple criminal cases, he continues to enjoy impunity, maintaining a significant online presence through which he disseminates anti-Muslim propaganda and mobilises support.
Following the attack, the police registered a case at Tila Mod Police Station against Chaudhary and his associates under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, and two of the accused, Annu and Amit, were arrested, while Daksh and others remain at large. Authorities stated that efforts are ongoing to trace Chaudhary, who continues to post defiant videos online, celebrating the assault and asserting his allegiance to Hindutva causes.
Soon after the incident, Hindu Raksha Dal chief Pinki Chaudhary, known for his inflammatory speeches, joined the campaign against the girl, escalating the online hate narrative by calling for punitive action against her family.
Meanwhile, the police confirmed that separate cases were filed against both parties — one against the girl for her alleged remarks against Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and another against the attackers for invading the family’s home and abusing them.
The police noted that the girl, being a minor, would undergo counselling, although no formal complaints were lodged by either side, raising further concerns about the efficacy of law enforcement in preventing such hate-fuelled vigilantism.