Report Alleges Hindutva Extremism and Police Failures Caused 2022 Leicester Unrest

Report Alleges Hindutva Extremism and Police Failures Caused 2022 Leicester Unrest
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A new community-led report on the 2022 unrest in Leicester, co-authored by the UK Indian Muslim Council and the Community Policy Forum, has concluded that the violence was a result of rising Hindutva extremism and police failures, rather than a clash between two equal sides, Middle East Eye reported.

The report, which is based on testimonies from nearly 500 Muslim residents, challenges the narrative of a spontaneous outbreak of violence. Instead, it suggests the unrest was caused by rising tensions over several years, fueled by the spread of Hindutva ideology and deliberate acts of provocation by extremists.

According to the report, residents described a range of provocative behaviors, including nationalist chanting, targeted marches, harassment, and fireworks being set off near mosques. The report connects these actions to a “Hindutva digital ecosystem” that amplified Islamophobic content. It also raises concerns about police conduct, with residents accusing law enforcement of failing to protect them and siding with agitators.

The report recommends key actions, such as recognizing Hindutva and far-right extremism as domestic threats, reforming the police, and adopting a formal definition of Islamophobia. The article further notes that a leaked UK Home Office report also identified “Hindu nationalist extremism” as a factor in the unrest, marking the first time it was proposed as a target for British counter-extremism efforts.