Incidents of targeted attacks by Islamists on people celebrating Hindu festivals have become a new normal over the years. This year as well, several incidents of attacks on Holi celebrations were reported from different areas. Here is a list of 10 such incidents in which people celebrating Holi were attacked by Islamists on some pretext or the other.
‘If you celebrate Holi, we will kill you’
In February, some members of the Hindu community were planning to organise a Holi programme in their locality in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh when some Muslim men attacked them with sticks and gave them death threats, “If you celebrate Holi, we kill you.” The victims identified as Laxman, Munna, Shani and Akash were attacked by the accused identified as Ayan, Salman, Aman, Rehan, Bhura and Alam.
On receiving information about the incident, the police sprung into action. An FIR was registered against six persons.
‘How dare you to say Jai Shri Ram’
A Muslim mob attacked some people from the Hindu community celebrating Dol Purnima and Holi on 14th March in Anaipur village in the Birbhum district of West Bengal. Sharing the details of the incident on X, BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya said that the attack was led by a Trinamool Panchayat member. He added that Muslims attacked Hindus for chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and questioned them, “How dare you raise this slogan?”.
Malviya alleged that the attacks happened in the presence of police who instead of preventing the violence shielded the attackers. He said that videos of the attack showed Hindus alleging that they were attacked while police stood there watching. Following the violent clash, the Birbhum district administration imposed restrictions on internet and VoIP services in five Gram Panchayats near Sainthia town till 17th March 2025.
Stone-pelting on Holi celebrations inside a college
On 11th March, stones were pelted at a group of students celebrating Holi on the campus of Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth in Varanasi. The students were playing music, dancing and singing inside the college campus some outsiders entered the campus starting interrupting the celebrations. When the students objected to this, the outsiders were removed from the campus. However, the intruders started throwing stones in the campus from outside. The students also started throwing the stones back on the intruders. This continued for over half an hour.
The situation was pacified after the police force from several police stations arrived on the spot and took control. An FIR was registered by the police on the complaint of the students.
Muslim family attacked for celebrating Holi with Hindus
A Muslim family celebrating Holi on 14th March was attacked by members of their community in Jalesar, Etah, Uttar Pradesh. The incident took place in the Mahanamai village in which one Shamshad and his two sons Mustaq and Imran were beaten up by some Muslim men. The victims were celebrating Holi with Hindu families in the village.
The victims said that they celebrate Hindu festivals like Holi and Diwali every year with Hindus. However, members of their community disapproved of this. They threatened the family that they would not be allowed to live in the village if they celebrated Hindu festivals.
Maulana asks Hindu students not to play Holi in AMU
The Aligarh Muslim University administration denied permission to Hindu students to celebrate Holi on the university campus. The students wanted to organise a ‘Holi Milan’ event on the campus on Holi. The national president of the All India Muslim Jamaat, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi, claimed that since Muslims compose the majority of the university’s students, Holi shouldn’t be celebrated there. Advising that mutual respect is important to maintain peace, Bareilvi said that such an event need not be organised on campus if Muslim students were opposed to it.
Following much outrage by Hindu students, the university administration allowed Hindu students to celebrate Holi on the 13th and 14th of March at the NRSC Hall between 11:30 am to 3:00 pm.
Hindu boy attacked by a Muslim man over Holi celebrations
On Saturday (15th March), a day after Holi, tension erupted in the Buniyadganj area near Joda Masjid in Gaya, Bihar, after some Hindu boys playing Holi accidentally threw colour on a Muslim man. This led to a heated argument. The Muslim man tried to pull one of the Hindu boys into his area. The argument soon turned into a violent clash reportedly involving stone pelting.
On receiving the information about the incident, senior police officials reached at the spot to pacify the situation. The police attempted to mediate, but tensions prevailed in the area. Eventually, an additional police force was called to ensure no further incidents occurred in the region. The police denied any communal angle in the incident and said that the reason for the clashes was a personal dispute.
Stone pelting over Holika Dahan
Stone pelting occurred on the occasion of Holika Dahan in Sahnoura village in the NTPC police station area of Patna in Bihar. According to reports, Holika Dahan was taking place on a street in the village which was opposed by the people from the Muslim community. Soon tensions mounted between the two communities in the village and clashes broke out. Some police personnel who tried to pacify the situation were chased away by angry villagers. The police arrived again with a larger force and took control of the situation.
Several people from both sides were reportedly injured. Some shots were also fired. Police vehicles were damaged in the stone pelting that took place between the two communities.
Muslim man gives death threats to Hindu man on Holi
A Muslim man barged into a Hindu man’s house in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao and threatened him and his family with death for testing DJ on the occasion of Holi. According to the victim, Ajay, the accused Mohammad Aarif stormed into his house when he was testing DJ for Holi. When Ajay asked him to wait, Aarif attacked him and asked him to stop it immediately. Aarif also threatened him and his family with death.
Stone pelting on Holi procession in Ludhiana
On the occasion of Holi on 14th March, a Holi procession came under attack in the Bihari Colony in the Transport Nagar area of Ludhiana in Punjab. Several people were reportedly injured during the clashes.
As per reports, the clashes erupted in the evening near a local mosque when a Holi procession passed from the area. Members of the Muslim community were offering prayers inside the mosque when a procession celebrating Holi with colours and loud music passed by the mosque. This resulted in both sides reportedly pelting stones at each other. The police sprung into action on receiving the information about the clashes. The situation was brought under control after the police arrived. Eight people were arrested by the police in connection with the incident. However, the police denied any communal angle.
Stone pelting on Holi procession passing through ‘Masjid Lane’
Stones were pelted on a Holi procession in the Ghodthamba OP Police Station area of Giridih district of Jharkhand when the procession passed through the ‘masjid lane’, triggering members of the Muslim community over a Hindu procession traversing through their area and from a road that had a mosque situated on its side.
Soon the altercation between the two communities turned violent. At least three shops, one four-wheeler, and seven bikes were torched during the clashes. The police were informed about the clashes, and officials from the district headquarters rushed to the location to control the situation. The police quickly dispersed the miscreants.
