On Friday, August 9, a group of vigilantes from the Hindu Raksha Dal (HRD), led by their leader Bhupender Tomar, also known as Pinky Chaudhary, launched an attack on shanties in Ghaziabad’s Kavi Nagar area near the Guldhar railway station.
The group targeted the residents, who were Muslims, accusing them of being illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants involved in criminal activities.
In videos shared on the group’s social media accounts, the vigilantes were seen vandalizing the makeshift homes, setting the residents' belongings on fire, and assaulting them with lathis while hurling religious slurs. This was the second such attack by the group in a week.
The attackers reportedly did not stop at burning the slums but also specifically targeted the clothes and possessions of Muslim residents after confirming their identities. These violent acts have occurred against the backdrop of social media calls for retaliation in response to attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. BJP MLA Nitish Rane and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut were notable figures who fueled such sentiments online.
Ranaut posted on X (formerly Twitter), questioning why Bangladeshis should be allowed to live in India if Hindus are being targeted in Bangladesh. He hinted at retaliatory violence, saying, “We will also target and kill.” Meanwhile, Ranaut drew parallels between India and Israel, urging people to arm themselves for self-defense and to engage in combat practice.
A day before this incident, Daksh Chaudhary, another HRD associate, attacked a slum in Delhi’s Shastri Nagar, also accusing the residents of being illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Daksh 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 circulated a video on social media, endorsing the violence and warning the Delhi police not to take strict action against the attackers. He claimed these attacks were in retaliation for anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh, further threatening to continue his actions.
However, the Ghaziabad police have refuted Chaudhary’s claims, confirming that the people assaulted were not foreigners but Indian citizens hailing from Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh. A case has been registered against the attackers, and the police are investigating the incident under relevant legal sections.
