A chilling video shows a terrified Muslim teenager pleading to be spared from the clutches of Hindutva right-wing men, who assaulted him and forced him to chant Hindu religious slogans after accusing him of tearing down an anti-Pakistan poster displayed during a protest led by a Hindu group, before making him urinate on a Pakistani flag in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh city.
The Hindutva men did not mince their words, calling the teenager a “pig” and dragging him by the collar as he pleaded his innocence — all this occurring near a police station, with officers allegedly present yet failing to come to his rescue, according to The Siasat Daily.
The incident occurred after one of the teenager’s friends allegedly tore down an anti-Pakistan poster displayed during a protest led by Hindu nationalist groups. While the friend managed to escape, the teenager, identified as Burhan, was caught, abused, and forced to chant Hindu religious slogans before being coerced into urinating on a Pakistani flag.
The attack, which took place in the vicinity of the Rasoolganj police post, was recorded on video and widely circulated on social media. Eyewitnesses noted that police were present during the incident but did not intervene. The situation has drawn criticism for law enforcement's inaction and raised concerns about the growing culture of impunity surrounding hate crimes targeting Muslims in the state.
The assault on the teen boy is among the many attacks targeting Muslims in the country, particularly after gunmen in Indian-administered Kashmir killed 25 tourists and a local pony rider in an attack that New Delhi has linked to Pakistan — a claim Islamabad denies.
The killings in Pahalgam, the worst such incident in the region involving tourists in more than two decades, have triggered a spate of Islamophobic content online, particularly in the form of music videos known as “Hindutva Pop”, which call for retribution against Pakistan and describe Indian Muslims as traitors.
These songs, which emerged rapidly following the Kashmir attack, have propagated anti-Muslim rhetoric and have been circulated across YouTube and messaging platforms. At least 20 such tracks have been identified, each calling for punitive action against Indian Muslims while fuelling conspiracy theories and communal hatred. The songs, set to upbeat music, have gained thousands of views, revealing their appeal to certain audiences and their role in deepening societal divisions.
The rapid proliferation of these tracks has coincided with a noticeable increase in real-world attacks on Muslims across several Indian states. In Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Uttarakhand, Muslims have reported being assaulted, harassed, or denied services. In some areas, Kashmiri Muslims have been forcibly evicted from their homes, while street vendors have been targeted, and medical assistance has allegedly been refused on communal grounds.
The spread of hyper-nationalist content has further amplified calls for violent retribution, with songs demanding nuclear attacks on Pakistan and open warfare. These digital campaigns, largely promoted by Hindutva-aligned groups, have used encrypted platforms to evade oversight, enabling the rapid spread of hate speech and extremist messaging.
The growing wave of communal violence appears to be encouraged by the prevailing political climate, with majoritarian narratives gaining traction online and on the ground.
In one of the most disturbing developments, a Muslim man was shot dead in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, with the attacker claiming the act was revenge for the Kashmir killings. This incident reflects a broader pattern in which digital hate speech is translating into acts of physical violence.