Ganeshotsav, one of India’s most cherished festivals, is known for its spiritual significance, communal harmony, and grand celebrations. However, this year several instances of attacks on Ganesha processions were also reported. Let us take a look at 16 major incidents in India involving attacks on Ganesha Chaturthi festivities and processions.
1. Bhiwandi (Maharashtra)
A Ganesha idol was pelted with stones by Islamist miscreants near the Hindustani Masjid on 17 September 2024 during Ganapati immersion in Bhiwandi, breaking the statue. When those involved in the immersion protested, the police lathi-charged them, in which many were seriously injured.
Bhiwandi, Maharashtra: During Ganpati immersion, stones were thrown at a Ganesh idol near Hindustani Mosque, breaking it and sparking tension between communities. The Ganesh Mandal demanded the arrest of those responsible and refused to proceed with the immersion. Police… pic.twitter.com/IaWbgy4AiZ
— IANS (@ians_india) September 18, 2024
2. Balrampur (Chhattisgarh)
On 17 September 2024, Islamist rioters pelted stones during the immersion of a Ganesha idol in Ara village. Many people including Sheila Yadav suffered serious head injuries in the violence. Balrampur police detained Hashib, Imam, Ittakhab, and Islam on charges of violence.
Balrampur : गणेश विर्सजन के दौरान पत्थरबाजी का मामला,
पुलिस ने 4 लोगों के खिलाफ दर्ज की FIR #Balrampur #ganeshvirsajan #Policeregistered #FIR #CGNews pic.twitter.com/rPi0dNDo3o— Bansal News (@BansalNewsMPCG) September 18, 2024
3. Trilokpuri (Delhi)
On 16 September 2024, armed Islamist mobs attack Hindu devotees returning from Ganesha immersion. Two devotees were seriously injured in the attack. चशमदीद devotees said that the miscreants also pulled women’s dupattas.
ख़ौफ़नाक।
पूर्वी दिल्ली के त्रिलोकपुरी इलाके में गणेश विसर्जन कर वापस लौट रही भीड़ पर जिहादियों ने हमला कर दिया।
चश्मदीद के मुताबिक गणेश विसर्जन के बाद वापस लोट रही भीड़ जिसमे महिलाए और बच्चे भी शामिल थे।#CongressHataoDeshBachao pic.twitter.com/88ExTgjAux— R sahu 🚩🚩KRT Team (@RohitSa1110) September 17, 2024
4. Farrukhabad (Uttar Pradesh)
On 16 September 2024, an Islamist mob attacked people returning from the immersion with sticks, sticks, and bricks under the Shamshabad police station area during Ganesha visarjan. The rioters also raised slogans of Pakistan Zindabad.
फर्रुखाबाद : गणेश विसर्जन कर वापस आ रहे लोगों पर हमला
गणेश विसर्जन कर आ रहे लोगों पर विशेष सामुदाय ने बोला हमला
विशेष समुदाय के लोगों ने चलाए ईंट पत्थर,डंडों से किया हमला
विशेष समुदाय के लोगों ने हमला कर लगाए नारे
"इस्लाम जिंदाबाद,पाकिस्तान जिंदाबाद" के लगाए नारे
विशेष… pic.twitter.com/2j6SP3W9fx
— News1India (@News1IndiaTweet) September 16, 2024
5. Balrampur (Uttar Pradesh)
On 16 September 2024, an Islamist crowd waved green flags in front of the Ganesh Pandal in the procession of Barawwfat and said, ‘Hindustan में रहना है है तो, Khwaja-Khwaja केहना है.’ The Siddhi Vinayak Seva Samiti complained and said, “The miscreants were shouting obscene slogans and threatening to attack.”
बलरामपुर के उतरौला में आज बारावफात की जुलूस में गणेश पूजा पंडाल के सामने पाकिस्तान,और फिलिस्तीन जिंदाबाद का लगा नारा।@balrampurpolice @myogiadityanath @dgpup @digdevipatan pic.twitter.com/gK1mF73CyK
— दीपक चौधरी (@deepakhyw14) September 16, 2024
6. Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh)
During Ganesh immersion on 15 September 2024 in the Madarganj Mohalla of Month police station, Hindus who were chanting gulal were first abused by Islamist rioters.
While returning from the immersion, the rioters attacked the devotees in a well-planned manner. In the case of violence, Jhansi police detained Shahid and 2 other rioters.
7. Pune (Maharashtra)
On 14 September 2024 in the Daund area, Yasin Ismail Syed attacked the Ganesha festival program organized by Sitara Torve and threatened to kill the Torve. The police registered a case under sections 109, 118(1), and 351(2) of the Indian Penal Code.
8. Mahoba (Uttar Pradesh)
During the Ganesh Visarjan procession being taken out on 14 September 2024 in the Kasuratori area, angry with a small child bursting firecracker, miscreants pelted stones and threw water on the people participating in the procession in the Muslim-majority area.
महोबा: गणेश प्रतिमा के विर्सजन के दौरान सौहार्द ख़राब करने का प्रयास,
मूर्ति विसर्जन में जा रहें मुस्लिम बाहुल्य इलाके में श्रद्धालुओं पर पथराव,
श्रद्धालुओं पर फेकी गई पानी की बाल्टियां,
घटना से आक्रोशित हिंदू संगठन ने कोतवाली के बाहर किया हंगामा,
कार्यवाही की मांग को लेकर… pic.twitter.com/iCDriA6GbS— Roshan Kumar Journalist (@cameraman_r) September 14, 2024
9. Mandya (Karnataka)
As soon as the Ganesha immersion procession was taken out from Nagmangala town by Hindu devotees of Badarikoppalu village on the night of 11 September 2024 and reached a mosque, the Islamist rioters started pelting stones at the immersion procession. Armed miscreants set fire to 4-5 bikes standing on the road.
Mandya Police arrested Yusuf and Nasir of the terrorist organization Popular Front of India (residents of Malappuram, Kerala) on charges of violence.
कर्नाटक के मांड्या में गणेश प्रतिमा विसर्जन के दौरान पथराव के बाद हिंसा#ganpativisarjan #clash #karnataka #mandya pic.twitter.com/EBIR0K038i
— News18 India (@News18India) September 12, 2024
10. Surat (Gujarat)
On 10 September 2024, Laima Sheikh and Rubika Pathan incited their minor children to smash 10 Lord Ganesha idols in the shop of Vishal Hiralal Khalasi at Soni Palia Bazar in Athwa area, causing a loss of ₹60 thousand to Vishal. Both the Islamist women were detained by the Gujarat police.
Laima Sheikh-Rubika Pathan arrested.
These two #Muslim women live on the footpath bridge and make a living by begging.
Both of them instigated their 5-6 year old minor children inside the shop and these children broke 10 idols inside the shop.#Arrested#SoniPalia #Athwa #Surat. pic.twitter.com/541jG8tLMl— Mondalˢ 🆇 (@MondalOrg) September 12, 2024
11. Bharuch (Gujarat)
In the Gokulnagar area on the night of 10 September 2024, on the occasion of the Hindu festival Ganeshotsav, Islamists forcibly started putting up their Islamic flags and pylons on the houses of Hindus for Eid preparations.
When the Hindus opposed it, the rioters attacked. Bharuch police detained 17 people in connection with the violence.
ભરૂચના પશ્ચિમ વિસ્તારના ગોકુલ નગરમાં થઈ મારામારી
ઘટનાના CCTV પોલીસે ચેક કરી હુમલો કરનારાઓને ઘરમાંથી શોધીને ડીટેઇન કર્યા
ઘટનામાં ખોટી અફવાઓથી લોકોએ દૂર રહેવા અને ફોટા,મેસેજ પસાર કર્યા તો પોલીસ કાયદેસર કાર્યવાહી કરશે: ભરૂચ S.P મયુરસિંહ ચાવડા#bharuch pic.twitter.com/kRsETVdW2v
— DD News Gujarati (@DDNewsGujarati) September 11, 2024
12. Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)
On 10 September 2024, Islamists pelted stones near the idol of Lord Ganesha, chanting slogans of ‘Allah hu Akbar‘, at the Ganesh pandal set up near the house of Kiran Chaurasia, a resident of Chhoti Masjid in Ganga Vihar Colony, Chinhat. Broke the pot. Lucknow Police has detained 2 minors accused in the case of violence.
उत्तर प्रदेश की राजधानी लखनऊ के चिनहट इलाके में गणेश पूजा पंडाल पर पथराव, कलश टूटा; लगे अल्ला हो अकबर के नारे.
भक्तों ने कहा कि घर मोहल्ले में भी पूजा महोत्सव न कर पाएं, तो कहां जाएं.
चिनहट पुलिस की सुस्त कार्रवाई से लोगों में आक्रोश! pic.twitter.com/6Vq1if2ezQ— vijaipandey1983 (@vijaipandey1983) September 11, 2024
13. Kutch (Gujarat)
An Islamist mob pelted stones at the idol of Lord Ganesha installed in a pandal on 10 September 2024 in Jarodar village of Kota area of Nakhtrana. Ganesh statue’s nose was broken by this stone pelting. The miscreants also buried an Islamic flag in a Hindu temple near the pandal. Kutch police registered a case and arrested 4 other accused including 3 minor accused, Maulana Ghulam Hussain Jafar, Asif Sumra Padhiar, Sahil Ramzan, and Hanif Jusan.
સુરત બાદ હવે કચ્છના નખત્રાણામાં એ જ મોડસ ઓપરેન્ડીથી હિંદુ આસ્થા પર હુમલો
કોટડા જરોદાર ગામે પથ્થરમારો કરીને ગણેશજીની પ્રતિમા ખંડિત કરાઈ. મંડપથી થોડે જ દૂર એક મંદિર પર ફરકાવી દેવાયો લીલો ઝંડો.
પથ્થરો ફેંકનારા મુસ્લિમ સગીરો, એકનો બાપ મૌલાના.
પોલીસે ગુનો નોંધીને ત્રણ સગીરો સહિત… pic.twitter.com/Yrwl4TeqU5
— ઑપઇન્ડિયા (@OpIndia_G) September 11, 2024
14. Ratlam (Madhya Pradesh)
During the Ganesh Chaturthi procession being taken out on 8 September 2024 from Khetalpur to Mehndikui Balaji, rioters pelted stones on the Ganesh idol and devotees near Haathikhan Mochipura, a Muslim-majority area. Devotees said that the first stone was pelted on the idol, then the people involved in the procession and the police vehicles were also pelted with stones. An FIR was registered against 150 people and 3 people were arrested in connection with the violence.
Tensions in Ratlam, MP:
Yesterday, Hindus were taking murti of Ganesh ji to a pandal in Mochipura area. However, the procession met with stone pelting with first stone hitting the murti.
Soon, stones started coming from all around, one of them even hitting police vehicle.… pic.twitter.com/zGoQFmBrRp
— Subhi Vishwakarma (@subhi_karma) September 8, 2024
15. Surat (Gujarat)
On 7 September 2024, Islamist rioters pelted stones at the shrine of Lord Ganesh in the Lalgate area. When thousands of Hindus took to the streets in protest, the police took swift action and arrested 27 stone-pelters, including 6 conspirators. About 1,000 policemen are stationed around the Ganpati Pandal.
@SCofIndia @Gujaratbench @NCM_GoI
सूरत में गणेश उत्सव मना रहे पंडाल पर दूसरे समुदाय के लोगों की ओर पथराव की घटना के बाद से पूरे इलाके में तनाव है. इसको लेकर इलाके की रहने वाली Muslim महिलाओं ने बड़े खुलासे किए हैं. देखें मुस्लिम महिलाओं ने क्या कहा?https://t.co/XwMKl5mubs— Helpways (@Helpways1) September 14, 2024
16. Lohdarga (Jharkhand)
On 6 September 2024 in Valmiki Nagar, an Islamist mob attacked the organizing committee and people of the Hindu organization at the place of Ganesh Puja. The people of the Muslim community said that if the worship is done in the street, otherwise they will not allow the worship to be completed in any condition.
लोहरदगा में गणेश पूजा उत्सव को लेकर हुआ विवाद, पूजा स्थल को लेकर दो पक्ष में मारपीट – fight over Ganesh puja place https://t.co/3QpCNT8KGK #lohardaga #Jharkhand
— ETV Bharat Jharkhand (@ETVBharatJH) September 6, 2024
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