Stone pelting, idol vandalism and more: Here are 9 instances of attacks and disruptions during the 2026 Saraswati Puja
Vasant Panchami is an auspicious occasion of worshipping Maa Saraswati, the giver of knowledge and wisdom. Across the country, Saraswati Puja and subsequent immersion are performed by Hindus with immense devotion. However, as disrupting the celebration of Hindu festivals has become an opprobrious trend seen during Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti and other festivals, anti-Hindu elements attacked or disrupted Saraswati Puja at several places this year. Jharkhand: Stone pelting by a Muslim mob at the idol of Maa Saraswati during an immersion procession in Hazaribagh after objecting to the DJ On 24th January, a Muslim mob pelted stones at a Saraswati Puja immersion procession in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh. A procession was being taken out to immerse the idol of Saraswati in Beltu village, under the Keredari block. Suddenly, a Muslim mob began pelting stones at the Hindu procession. In retaliation, some participants in the procession retaliated. The dispute began over the songs being played on the music system during the procession. The Muslim side was offended by the ‘provocative’ songs, and in no time, the matter escalated into violence as Muslim men began pelting stones at Hindus, leaving several people injured. Hazaribagh has been a hotbed of Islamic violence against Hindus. Be it Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, or Holi, Muslims often come up with trivial excuses like Hindus playing music, or carrying saffron flags, etc, to attack Hindus over the years. Back in 2020, Muslims had attacked a Saraswati Puja immersion procession in Lakhe Sundi Basti near Hazaribagh. A Muslim mob pelted stones and damaged several vehicles back then. Four to five people were injured as well. The same modus operandi continues to be followed by Muslims against Hindus celebrating their festivals even now. Assam: Saraswati idol vandalised in Dibrugarh On 24th January, an idol of Maa Saraswati was vandalised by unidentified individuals on the day of the Puja. So far, there is no information regarding the people behind this act. Local Hindus have demanded that the culprits be identified and punished. Tripura: Muslims cause unrest during Saraswati Puja in Kailashahar In Tripura’s Kailashahar, tensions prevailed after it was alleged that around 16 Muslim youths armed with machetes and sticks attempted to disrupt a Saraswati Puja. Clashes erupted in the Katal Dighirpar area. BJP Mandal president Pritam Ghosh stated that around 16 Muslim youths carrying machetes and sticks tried to disrupt Saraswati Puja by attacking Hindus. “As soon as we rushed to the spot after receiving information, they attacked us indiscriminately. The situation turned more violent. These miscreants are trying to replicate the dangerous environment of Bangladesh. We must fight unitedly against such forces,” Ghosh said. Pritam Ghosh was injured in the attack, while the house of the district president of the BJP youth wing, Arup Dhar, was also vandalised. Reports say that an unofficial office of the BJP in Katal Dighirpur was torched. Police forces were deployed to bring the situation under control. West Bengal: TMC infighting disrupts Saraswati Puja in North 24 Parganas district On Friday (23rd January), infighting within the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) party led to the disruption of Saraswati Puja in Kamarhati city in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. Reportedly, the Belghadia Sarbajanin Sr Sri Durga Chowk Society Mandir has been locked up by one faction of the TMC. As a result, local Hindu women are unable to worship Maa Saraswati. The local police refused to intervene and remove the lock unless the warring TMC factions find a common ground. TMC leader threatens students against organising Saraswati Puja at the alma mater of Mamata Banerjee A female student studying at the government-sponsored Jogesh Chandra Chaudhuri College in South Kolkata has informed that a TMC leader has threatened them against organising Saraswati Puja. As per the victim, the TMC leader was identified as Daud Alam Molla. The student narrated in a viral video, “Daud Alam Molla is standing outside. He has threatened me that he will f*** my LLM.” Coincidentally, Jogesh Chandra Chaudhuri Law College is the alma mater of West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee. Infighting between TMC factions stops Saraswati Puja celebrations in Cooch Behar On Friday (23rd January), the Saraswati Puja Mandap at Dinhata College in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal was abandoned after infighting broke out between two factions of the ruling TMC. The police were later called in to maintain law and order. On learning about the matter, the in-charge of Dinhata police station and SDPO reached the college campus. Hindu devotees, who went to attend the Puja festivities, were forced to flee for their safety and security. Visuals captured from the site showcase how the college campus was turned into a battlefield by the ruling T
Vasant Panchami is an auspicious occasion of worshipping Maa Saraswati, the giver of knowledge and wisdom. Across the country, Saraswati Puja and subsequent immersion are performed by Hindus with immense devotion. However, as disrupting the celebration of Hindu festivals has become an opprobrious trend seen during Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti and other festivals, anti-Hindu elements attacked or disrupted Saraswati Puja at several places this year.
Jharkhand: Stone pelting by a Muslim mob at the idol of Maa Saraswati during an immersion procession in Hazaribagh after objecting to the DJ
On 24th January, a Muslim mob pelted stones at a Saraswati Puja immersion procession in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh. A procession was being taken out to immerse the idol of Saraswati in Beltu village, under the Keredari block. Suddenly, a Muslim mob began pelting stones at the Hindu procession. In retaliation, some participants in the procession retaliated.
The dispute began over the songs being played on the music system during the procession. The Muslim side was offended by the ‘provocative’ songs, and in no time, the matter escalated into violence as Muslim men began pelting stones at Hindus, leaving several people injured.
Hazaribagh has been a hotbed of Islamic violence against Hindus. Be it Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, or Holi, Muslims often come up with trivial excuses like Hindus playing music, or carrying saffron flags, etc, to attack Hindus over the years.
Back in 2020, Muslims had attacked a Saraswati Puja immersion procession in Lakhe Sundi Basti near Hazaribagh. A Muslim mob pelted stones and damaged several vehicles back then. Four to five people were injured as well. The same modus operandi continues to be followed by Muslims against Hindus celebrating their festivals even now.
Assam: Saraswati idol vandalised in Dibrugarh
On 24th January, an idol of Maa Saraswati was vandalised by unidentified individuals on the day of the Puja. So far, there is no information regarding the people behind this act. Local Hindus have demanded that the culprits be identified and punished.
Tripura: Muslims cause unrest during Saraswati Puja in Kailashahar
In Tripura’s Kailashahar, tensions prevailed after it was alleged that around 16 Muslim youths armed with machetes and sticks attempted to disrupt a Saraswati Puja. Clashes erupted in the Katal Dighirpar area.
BJP Mandal president Pritam Ghosh stated that around 16 Muslim youths carrying machetes and sticks tried to disrupt Saraswati Puja by attacking Hindus. “As soon as we rushed to the spot after receiving information, they attacked us indiscriminately. The situation turned more violent. These miscreants are trying to replicate the dangerous environment of Bangladesh. We must fight unitedly against such forces,” Ghosh said.
Pritam Ghosh was injured in the attack, while the house of the district president of the BJP youth wing, Arup Dhar, was also vandalised. Reports say that an unofficial office of the BJP in Katal Dighirpur was torched.
Police forces were deployed to bring the situation under control.
West Bengal: TMC infighting disrupts Saraswati Puja in North 24 Parganas district
On Friday (23rd January), infighting within the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) party led to the disruption of Saraswati Puja in Kamarhati city in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
Reportedly, the Belghadia Sarbajanin Sr Sri Durga Chowk Society Mandir has been locked up by one faction of the TMC. As a result, local Hindu women are unable to worship Maa Saraswati. The local police refused to intervene and remove the lock unless the warring TMC factions find a common ground.
TMC leader threatens students against organising Saraswati Puja at the alma mater of Mamata Banerjee
A female student studying at the government-sponsored Jogesh Chandra Chaudhuri College in South Kolkata has informed that a TMC leader has threatened them against organising Saraswati Puja.
As per the victim, the TMC leader was identified as Daud Alam Molla. The student narrated in a viral video, “Daud Alam Molla is standing outside. He has threatened me that he will f*** my LLM.”
Coincidentally, Jogesh Chandra Chaudhuri Law College is the alma mater of West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.
Infighting between TMC factions stops Saraswati Puja celebrations in Cooch Behar
On Friday (23rd January), the Saraswati Puja Mandap at Dinhata College in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal was abandoned after infighting broke out between two factions of the ruling TMC.
The police were later called in to maintain law and order. On learning about the matter, the in-charge of Dinhata police station and SDPO reached the college campus. Hindu devotees, who went to attend the Puja festivities, were forced to flee for their safety and security. Visuals captured from the site showcase how the college campus was turned into a battlefield by the ruling TMC goons.
Hindu students are not allowed to perform Saraswati Puja inside school premises because over 50% students are Muslims
In another incident from Barasat city in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, Hindu students were denied permission to organise Saraswati Puja within the school premises.
Reports say that the permission was denied because the school had more than 50% Muslim population. In a video that has surfaced on social media, police officials were seen stopping students from worshipping the deity.
Later, Hindu students were forced to organise the Puja outside the premises of the school and on the footpath.
A man named Pradip Chatterjee was heard saying, “They said that Puja cannot be conducted here since Hindus are a minority in this school…There is no difference in the plight of Hindus residing in West Bengal and Bangladesh.”
If the ‘50% Muslim students’ logic is applied nationally, Hindus can also claim tomorrow that their population is more than 50% in the country, and thus Namaz should not be allowed.
Jharkhand: Muslims attack Hindus over Saraswati Puja procession in Lohardaga
On 25th January, a Muslim mob attacked Hindus in Jharkhand’s Lohardaga area during a Saraswati Puja procession. The incident unfolded in during the Saraswati Puja immersion ceremony in Baridih village, under the Kudu police station area of Lohardaga. Hindus were taking out the jhanki of Maa Saraswati through the village; however, the vehicle carrying the idol slightly touched the roof of the house of a Muslim family.
Subsequently, the Muslim family and their local co-religionists gathered and assaulted the driver. By early morning, the matter escalated into full-fledged violence, with the Muslim mob attacking Hindus and their houses. Upon receiving the information, police from the Kudu police station and a bike squad from the Border Security Force arrived at the scene.
Three people were injured in the attack and are undergoing treatment at a local hospital. The police have brought the situation under control.
Bangladesh: Saraswati idol vandalised in Gopalganj
Ever since the forced ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, Bangladesh has witnessed a continued persecution of Hindus. The local Hindus have been attacked, raped, looted, and killed by Muslims. Muslim mobs have on numerous occasions vandalised Hindu temples under the patronage of the Islamist Yunus regime.
In a fresh incident of anti-Hindu attack, Muslims vandalised a Saraswati idol at a public puja mandap in Mukshudpur Upazila of the Gopalganj district on Friday.
Mukshudpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abdullah Al Mamun said that the anti-Hindu crime was committed after Saraswati Puja concluded at the communal puja site in West Ujani Kandanipara village, Ujani Union. The devotees left the mandap after concluding the Puja. Later, Muslim attackers twisted the neck of the Saraswati idol, leaving its head dangling in a deliberate act of sacrilege.
The Hindu-dominated Gopalganj district has witnessed several anti-Hindu crimes perpetrated by Muslims in the last two years.
