On Friday, August 9, vigilantes from the Hindu Raksha Dal (HRD), led by Bhupender Tomar, also known as Pinky Chaudhary, launched an assault on makeshift homes in Ghaziabad’s Kavi Nagar area near the Guldhar railway station.
The group targeted Muslim residents, accusing them of being illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants involved in criminal activities. Videos shared on social media show the vigilantes vandalizing the homes, setting belongings on fire, and attacking residents with lathis while shouting religious slurs. This incident was the second attack by the group in a week.
The attackers not only burned the slums but also specifically destroyed the clothes and possessions of Muslim residents after verifying their identities. These acts of violence are linked to social media calls for retaliation in response to attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. BJP MLA Nitish Rane and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut were among the figures who fueled these sentiments online.
On August 10, Kangana Ranaut posted on X (formerly Twitter), questioning why Bangladeshis should be allowed to live in India if Hindus are being targeted in Bangladesh. She suggested retaliatory violence, stating, “We will also target and kill,” and drew parallels between India and Israel, urging people to arm themselves for self-defense and practice combat regularly.
In a separate incident the day before, Daksh Chaudhary, another HRD associate, attacked a slum in Delhi’s Shastri Nagar, accusing the residents of being illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Chaudhary has a history of hate speech and violence, including an attack on Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar during his campaign in Northeast Delhi.
In response to the Ghaziabad attack, Pinky Chaudhary posted a video endorsing the violence and warning the Delhi police not to take stringent action against the attackers. He claimed the attacks were retaliation for anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh and threatened to continue his actions.
The Ghaziabad police have refuted Chaudhary’s claims, confirming that the assaulted individuals were Indian citizens from Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh. A case has been filed against the attackers, and the police are investigating the incident under the relevant legal sections.
