Communal Violence, “Bulldozer” Actions and Waqf Controversy Fuel Tensions Across India

A spate of communal incidents, punitive demolitions and legal battles over Muslim endowments have intensified anxieties across several Indian states, combining street violence with administrative and judicial disputes that rights groups say are heightening pressure on Muslim communities.

In Cuttack, Odisha, Hindutva militants attacked a Muslim neighbourhood, setting shops, vehicles and stalls ablaze after an alleged insult to a Muslim girl during a Hindu procession; at least 25 police officers were injured as authorities imposed a 36-hour curfew and an internet shutdown to restore order, Shia Waves Persian reported.

In Multai, Madhya Pradesh, Hindu groups threatened residents with “bulldozer justice” — a phrase tied to recent demolitions — prompting heavy police deployment amid fears of reprisals, Clarion India reported.

In Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, authorities have continued arrests and enforcement actions tied to the “I Love Muhammad” demonstrations, sealing and demolishing properties linked to cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan and aides; officials say the moves target alleged encroachments, while critics call them politically motivated, as reported by Times of India and Clarion India.

Violent incidents reported elsewhere include the detention of two minor students accused in the murder of a mosque imam’s wife and two children inside a mosque in Uttar Pradesh, and an attack by cow vigilantes in Jalna, Maharashtra, that injured seven people, according to Maktoob Media.

A separate outrage in Bhopal followed the suspension of two constables after a Muslim engineering student died reportedly following a police beating, triggering protests and calls for accountability, also reported by Maktoob Media.

Complicating the climate is growing controversy over waqf (Muslim endowment) governance. The Kerala High Court this week criticized the Kerala Waqf Board for a 69-year delay and arbitrary handling of a large Munambam land declaration, calling the board’s actions “sham” and signaling judicial scrutiny of waqf administration. Nationally, the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 has sparked protests and legal challenges from Muslim bodies that say the law risks state overreach into waqf properties, according to Times of India Al Jazeera.

Human rights groups say the mix of vigilante violence, demolition drives, policing excesses and legal disputes over waqf lands is creating a climate of fear and marginalization for many Indian Muslims, while authorities maintain they are enforcing law and order and curbing illegal encroachments.