'Body in fridge' tableau in Munger Shivratri rally: Islamophobia & hate trounced devotion & piety?

By Shinjinee Majumder on 13th March 2025

In BJP-ruled India, Hindu religious festivals have often metamorphosed from occasions for devotion and celebrations to rallying points for Hindutva fanatics to intimidate, provoke, and attack minority communities. Even by that standard, what happened in Munger, Bihar, on Wednesday, February 26, was unprecedented, hideous and appalling.

On that day, Bajrang Dal members took out a 'religious' procession to celebrate Maha Shivratri, which included at least 50 tableaux. One of them was a 'Love Jihad' tableau which consisted of an exhibit of a refrigerator filled with dismembered remains of a female doll smeared in 'blood'. It was symbolic of the average Hindutva fanatic's idea of interfaith couples involving Muslim men and Hindu women.

In imagery of the exhibition that has surfaced since, the doll was of a girl wearing a bindi, indicating that she is Hindu. Provocative phrases like Dharam se hatah, tukre meh kata (Translation: Separated from religion, cut into pieces) and Mera Wala Aisa Nahi... (Translation: Mine was different) can be seen imposed at the sides of the exhibit. The tableau also consisted of several newspaper cuttings, many of them referencing the 2023 Shraddha Walkar murder case. Shraddha was murdered by her Muslim boyfriend, Aftab Poonawalla, and her dismembered body parts were found in a fridge. This case further fuelled the 'Love Jihad' conspiracy and has since become a talking point for Hindutva hordes.

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An attendee uploaded images of the exhibit on Instagram and thanked the Bajrang Dal and its parent organisation Vishva Hindu Parishad for the arrangements. "A heartfelt thanks to all the workers in Munger for their efforts in successfully organizing this remarkable tableau, raising awareness on issues like love jihad and religious conversion...", wrote the man.

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Upon a closer look at the photos, we noticed that newspaper reports of a murder of another young woman named Mahalakshmi were also pasted in the background. As soon as the murder of the 29-year-old had made headlines in September 2024, the far-Right ecosystem and a section of the media 'decided' that the perpetrator had to be a Muslim. The communal narratives later fell flat as Alt News identified the accused as one Mukti Ranjan Ray from Odisha. However, five months later, Mahalakshmi still finds a place in the lineup of 'Love Jihad' victims.

Alt News was able to ascertain that the procession went through the Bari Bazar Road of the P C Dutta Colony in Munger.

The procession culminated at Mankeshwar Nath Mahadev Temple, where a large number of devotees had gathered, after winding through the town's main streets.

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None Opposed it, Nothing Happened, No Tension: Police

When we reached out to Kotwali Police, an officer told us on condition of anonymity, "...There were some paper cuttings, and they were explaining about them. Nothing significant beyond that. There was no reaction or comment from anyone... No one opposed it, nothing happened. Still, the police administration is taking note of everything as per protocol... The procession started from Purabsarai... This particular tableau was removed midway; it was not part of the entire procession. The police did not remove it. The organizers themselves decided to take it down because they felt it might be inappropriate...There was no communal issue, nothing happened, no discussions or tensions. Both communities are at peace, and till now, no one has made any comments. Everything was conducted peacefully. There is no such issue in Munger."

Notwithstanding that, the event did become a political talking point in Bihar, with the RJD and Congress accusing the organizers of inciting communal disharmony. RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari urged the Nitish Kumar government to act against those responsible to prevent such incidents in the future. Even the BJP acknowledged the issue's sensitivity and criticized the tableau's graphic portrayal. A party representative stated that while "Love Jihad is a matter of concern, the message could have been conveyed more appropriately without disturbing imagery."

In their defense, Bajrang Dal convenor Saurabh S Sampanna asserted that the tableau's objective was to "draw people's attention towards atrocities against Hindu women in the name of marriage". He also claimed the tableau did not target any particular religion.

ALSO READ: Alt News ground report: 'Temple in Shibpur burnt by Muslims' claim false

Not an Isolated Incident

The Munger incident was not the only example of majoritarian muscle-flexing this Shivratri.

In Rohtak, local BJP leader Naveen Dhull harassed and slapped a Muslim biryani shop owner for keeping his shop open on Shivratri. He and his associates forced the owner to shut down his newly opened outlet while berating him. Dhull also warned the man against alerting his friends, claiming he would be patrolling the city. This act of vigilantism occurred despite the administration issuing no official mandate against selling meat on Hindu festivals.

Speaking to Alt News, Sabir Khan, the victim of the assault, said he was petrified when Naveen Dhull and his associates barged into his shop and assaulted him. When asked if he had filed a complaint about the assault, he replied, "Hum gareeb log kaha unse panga lenge" (We are poor people and we can't afford to clash with them). Sabir clarified that there are no temples near his shop. He was uncertain about reopening his shop the next day but eventually mustered the courage to do so.

Despite the seriousness of the incident, local police seemed to be completely unaware of it. Alt News contacted several police stations in Rohtak, but none had any knowledge of the incident, let alone a registered complaint. Sadar police station officials stated they had no information about the incident and claimed that the location of the shop was outside their jurisdiction. The Old Mandi Bazar police station gave the same response but suggested that Supra Chowk police station might have more information. However, when Alt News contacted Supra Chowk, the police there also claimed to have no knowledge of the incident.

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In an interview with Haryana Tak, Dhull says, "You can't call that assault. Assault is different... it involves a danda..."

In Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, Hindutva fringe organisation Akhand Hindu Vahini Sena organised a three-day programme on the occasion of Shivratri from February 25 to February 27 at the Dusshera Maidan Stadium Ground. The event was attended by celebrities like Vindu Dara Singh and Sachindra Singh.

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On February 25, the president and founder of the Akhand Hindu Vahini Sena made an address full of hateful communal rhetoric. He indulged in fearmongering claiming that several parts of the country were witnessing an alarming decline in Hindu population because of infiltration and forced religious conversions. He further stoked communal tensions by saying "The ones who feed the cow and the ones who eat the cow can never be friends..."

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In Rajim, located in Gariband district of Chhattisgarh, a religious fair, Rajim Kumbh Kalp, was held at the Triveni sangam, the confluence of Mahanadi, Paini and Sondhu rivers from Magh Purnima to Maha Shivratri. The fair is also known as the Kumbh of Chhattisgarh. On February 21, 2025, on the birth anniversary of Hindu deity Sita, several monks from around India were present at the festival. Many of the speeches turned into open Muslim bashing. While speaking about enormous participation of the Hindus in the Maha Kumbh Mela, monk Rajivlochan Maharaj claimed this stark rise in the participation of Hindus is due to the Akhada Parishad's decision of not letting jihadis into the Maha Kumbh. He said, "Just like kafirs are not allowed in Mecca or Medina, no jihadis will enter Maha Kumbh". Claiming he had no intention of spreading animosity, he questioned, "If Hindus cannot go to Mecca or Medina, why should Muslims be allowed to visit the Kumbh?" He reproached the Muslims of gaining profits from Kumbh and using it against the Hindus to wage attacks later. He went on and urged the Rajim Kumbh Kalp to undertake similar rules and bar the entry of the "jihadis". One of the chief guests, Mahamandaleshwar Vishwakanand Bhartiji Maharaj, urged the people to make Chhattisgarh a BJP ruled state permanently. Referring to the monk's speech before him, he continued, "Sajjano, yeh Samudra Manthan hua hi tha in asuron ko bahar karne ke liye" (This mythical Samudra Manthan was undertaken by the gods to expel these demons), explicitly equating Muslims with demons.

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In West Bengal's Joynagar, several women were ambushed by a group of men from Hindu Jagran Manch on February 26 and accused of forceful religious conversions to Christianity. The women, clearly distressed, can be seen trying to reason with the men. They were however faced with expletives and were then forced to chant Har Har Mahadev.

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In Indora, Himachal pradesh, a vendor was harassed and physically assaulted by several Hindutva vigilantes during Shivratri Mahotsav on February 24, outside the Kathgarh Shiv temple. This victim was accused of allegedly cooking chicken on the auspicious day.

https://www.facebook.com/bhanu.prashar.1/videos/1028536972420325

In Bihar's Samastipur, an individual went about forcefully closing down chicken shops. In a video uploaded on Facebook by a user named Dipanshu Sinha who also hails from Samastipur, the individual whose face is not shown in the clip, claims selling chicken on Shivratri near a temple is a 'Kukarm' (wrongdoing/mischief). People accompanying him can be seen interacting with passers-by and telling them how it should be illegal and law enforcement authorities should take action against the sale of non-vegetarian items on the day of Shivratri. One person claims that the law enforcement authorities are working in tandem with the sellers.

Majoritarian Muscle-flexing on Religious Festivals: A Troubling Trend

What is the relationship between the Shraddha Walkar case and a Maha Shivratri procession? None.

Then why was that particular tableau part of the celebrations?

Or, for that matter, why would T Raja Singh in Hyderabad lead his band of Hindutva fanatics in front of a mosque under the guise of celebrating Ram Navami — calling for an Akhand Hindu Rashtra, declaring that his son will continue the fight after his death, and spewing the worst expletives?

Or, why would a charged Hindu crowd march through a predominantly Muslim neighborhood in Bahraich during Durga Puja, blasting Hindutva pop songs, with the resultant violence claiming the life of a 22-year-old?

One can argue that this is nothing new. Even in pre-independence India, religious festivals were used as pretext for creating trouble and animosity between communities. However, in today's time, such efforts receive tacit if not open backing of the establishment and the highest centres of power.

The intention behind these is not difficult to see. All they seek is a reaction. Most, if not every Hindu festival now present a section of Hindutva fanatics with an opportunity for baiting Muslims and hoping for the situation to escalate — a single stone to be thrown, a spark to justify large-scale retaliatory violence and ignite further polarization and relentless othering of minorities.

One could argue that the weaponization of religious festivals reflects not only an almost visceral hatred for the minorities, but also a deep-seated insecurity among certain sections of Hindutva fanatics. And this display of Hindutva muscle-flexing under the guise of religious celebrations is a troubling pattern in an India where communal hatred has almost become a creed.

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