Wave of Anti-Muslim Violence Erupts Across India After Pahalgam Attack

A surge of communal violence targeting Muslims has erupted across India following the June 20 Pahalgam terror attack, with reports of assaults on Kashmiri students, denial of medical care to a pregnant woman, and a fatal shooting in Uttar Pradesh.

Kashmiri Muslim students faced brutal attacks in at least six states, including Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. At Chandigarh’s Universal Group of Institutes, mobs armed with sharp weapons assaulted Kashmiri hostel residents, while Hindutva group Hindu Raksha Dal issued ultimatums demanding their expulsion from Uttarakhand. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah confirmed coordination with affected states to ensure student safety.

A Kolkata gynecologist, Dr. C.K. Sarkar, refused treatment to a Muslim patient, citing the Pahalgam attack as justification. “After the Kashmir incident, I’m not seeing any Muslim patients,” he allegedly stated, prompting outrage from activists like Mehfuza Khatun, who called it “blatant discrimination.” Medical ethics watchdogs are investigating.

In Agra, Muslim restaurant worker Gulfam was shot dead by assailants claiming to avenge the Pahalgam attack. A since-deleted video showed armed men—identifying as cow vigilantes—vowing to “kill 2,600 Muslims” for the 26 Hindu victims. Police dismissed the communal angle, attributing the murder to a “food dispute,” contradicting survivor Saif Ali’s testimony.

While Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann pledged student protection, Uttar Pradesh police downplayed the Agra killing’s communal motive. Civil society groups warn these incidents reflect systemic anti-Muslim bias exacerbated by the Pahalgam fallout.