Tensions have flared in the Indian state of Maharashtra after members of the Hindu nationalist group Bajrang Dal raided a Muslim-owned meat shop, accusing the owner of selling beef.
The incident took place on Friday 17 October in the Baizpur area of Akola city, where witnesses said a group of Hindu men stormed into the shop shouting anti-Muslim slogans and verbally abusing the owner.
“They came in shouting, calling him a beef seller, abusing him,” said local resident Mohammed Salim. “When we tried to stop them, they began provoking people. It looked planned.”
Police said there was no major violence and that officers quickly brought the situation under control. “A small crowd gathered and some slogans were shouted,” said Inspector Rajesh Patel. “The situation was resolved peacefully,” he added.
Several people were detained for questioning, prompting protests from Hindu nationalist groups outside the police station. Members of the ruling BJP party, Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) demanded their release, while Muslim youth also gathered nearby calling for justice and accountability.
Political reactions
Local Congress MLA Sajid Khan Pathan accused right-wing groups of deliberately inflaming tensions. “This is not the first time such an incident has happened in Akola,” he said.
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“Some groups are dividing people on religious lines. Police must act against those spreading hatred,” he added.
BJP officials defended the Bajrang Dal activists, claiming they were acting “to protect cows” — a common justification used by right-wing Hindu groups in cases of violence against Muslims.
By evening, police reinforcements were deployed in parts of the city, though many Muslim-owned shops closed early. “People are scared,” said local teacher Rashida Begum. “Every few months peace is disturbed, and it’s always poor Muslims who suffer.”
Who are the Bajrang Dal?
The Bajrang Dal is the youth wing of VHP, which is part of the “Sangh Parivar” — a network of Hindu nationalist organisations aligned with the Hindutva militant group “Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh” (RSS).
Formed in the 1980s, the group presents itself as a defender of Hindu culture, and is known for campaigns against cow slaughter and interfaith relationships between Hindu women and Muslim men.
Human Rights Watch and other organisations have accused Bajrang Dal activists of carrying out violent attacks on Muslims and other minorities with little to no fear of prosecution.
Part of a wider pattern
The Akola raid follows a string of similar incidents across BJP-ruled states where Muslim businesses have been targeted under the pretext of “protecting cows” or defending Hindu traditions.
In the state of Haryana, Hindu mobs attacked Muslim fruit sellers earlier this year following the Pahalgam attack in Indian occupied Kashmir.
In the state of Bihar, a 70-year-old Muslim vendor was killed in September after an argument over five rupees.
In the state of Uttar Pradesh, restaurants have been ordered to display the names of their owners and staff — a move critics say singles out Muslim businesses for boycott.
Community workers in Maharashtra say these repeated confrontations are eroding trust between communities. “Every festival, some fringe groups try to provoke Muslims,” said Imran Qureshi, a local volunteer. “Instead of stopping them, police often detain the victims. We want impartial investigations, not double standards.”
Police in Akola say calm has been restored, but residents remain uneasy. As Rashida Begum put it: “The streets may be quiet tonight, but everyone knows it can happen again.”
