Muslim mob vandalises Hindu temple, beheads idol of Goddess Shitala: Read how Islamic extremists are fanning communal tension in Tripura, one act at a time
On Wednesday (2nd July) night, a violent Muslim mob desecrated a Hindu temple and beheaded the idol of Goddess Shitala. The incident occurred in Tatuatilla locality in Udaipur in the Gomati district of Tripura.
According to reports, the matter came to light only on Thursday (3rd July) morning. Local Muslims in the area have been raising objections against Hindus performing Puja at the temple since 29th June.
They claimed that the timing of the Hindu rituals coincided with that of Azaan. Three days later on Wednesday, they vandalised the Hindu Mandir to hurt religious sentiments of the Hindu community.
On learning about the matter, the police reached the spot and pacified the situation. A large contingent of security forces, including CRPF and TSR, was deployed to avert any untoward incident.
The visarjan (immersion ceremony) of the broken idol of Goddess Shitala was arranged and conducted by local Hindus in their presence.
According to Hindu residents, the area is home to illegal Bangladeshi Muslims. It has come to light that a temple of Goddess Shani was demolished in a similar fashion a few days earlier.
In the meantime, Udaipur SDPO Nirman Das claimed, “We are treating the matter with utmost seriousness. Additional forces have been deployed to ensure peace and prevent any escalation.” So far, none of the accused have been arrested.
Islamic extremists fomenting trouble in Tripura
This is not the first time that violent Muslim mobs have resorted to creating communal tension in the State of Tripura.
Over the past 1.5 years, Islamic extremists have resorted to multiple acts, aimed specifically to hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community.
These include cow slaughter in public, violent agitation in the name of Waqf protests, targeting of Hindu homes and shops, multiple cases of temple vandalism and idol desecration, and even co-opting the national ‘Hijab movement’ to destroy peace and harmony in the Northeastern State.
1. Public Cow slaughter on BakriEid
In June 2025, Muslims publicly slaughtered a cow on BakriEid to hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. The police in the Gomati district of Tripura arrested four people in connection with the case.
The case is from Chanban area of Udaipur subdivision. After receiving the information, Tripura Police reached the spot and confirmed the violation of rules related to animal sacrifice.
Soon after, arrangements were made to bury the remains of the cow in the ground. Seeing the tension rising in the area, adequate security forces were deployed to prevent the repetition of cow slaughter in the open.
2. Violence in the name of Waqf
In April this year, Muslims protesting against the newly enacted Waqf Amendment Act attacked police personnel on the Kailashahar highway in Unakoti district of Tripura.
According to reports, several people including police personnel were injured during the attack. The Muslim mob targeted the law enforcement authorities after being told to stop their rally owing to security concerns.
They were scheduled to take out a procession from Tilabazar to SDM’s former office. A Muslim man anonymously admitted to attacking the police after their plans were thwarted.
Muslims attack police in Kailashahar, image via North East Today
“Everything was going peacefully until we were stopped at Kubjar. We were only raising our democratic demand. Suddenly, the police intervened, and in the confusion, a scuffle broke out,” he said.
The police resorted to a lathi charge in defence. The Muslims continued their attack, injuring police constable Debjit Das and SDPO Kailashahar Jayanta Karmakar in the process. The cops arrested 7 attackers in connection with the case.
With the help of DIG Rathiranjan Debnath, the situation was brought under control. A team of TSR, CRPF and BSF were deployed in the area to prevent any untoward situation. A local Congress leader named Badruj Jaman was leading the protest march against the new Waqf law.
3. Riots and targeting of Hindu homes and shops
In October 2024, violent clashes broke out in the Kadamtala block area of North Tripura after a Muslim mob attacked Hindu houses and members of a local club over the collection of paid subscriptions (chanda) for Durga Puja.
The attack comes 3 days before the commencement of the annual Hindu festival. According to a report by Tripura Chronicle, a local club organising the Durga Puja sought a contribution of ₹5000 from a Muslim driver named Jahar Mia.
He was reportedly travelling to Assam with some of his relatives. Mia refused to pay, leading to a heated argument and confrontation between him and the club members.
Later, a Muslim mob siding with the driver broke into the houses of the Hindu club members and attacked their families.
They did not spare women and children during the targeted attack. The victims sustained injuries and an atmosphere of tension gripped the entire neighbourhood.
During the orgy of violence, the Muslim mob vandalised two homes and a beauty parlour. In visuals that have surfaced on social media, scared Hindu residents were seen narrating their ordeal and showcasing the extent of damage caused to their property.
An arson attack was also carried out in the Kadamtala Bazar area. Muslim mobs, armed with machetes, terrorised Hindus and looted shops in the market area. One man was brutally killed and 17 others were injured during the onslaught on the Hindu community.
The attack triggered retaliatory measures, prompting the law enforcement authorities to intervene. A large contingent of police and paramilitary forces, including Tripura State Rifles (TSR), was deployed to pacify the situation.
Following the incident, the local administration imposed Section 163 of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) in the area for 3 days, preventing the assembly of 5 or more people.
4. Multiple cases of temple vandalism
In the same month, extremists vandalised a Shiva temple in Pekucherra village in Panisagar block in North Tripura district. This led to communal clashes in the area.
Communal clashes erupt in North Tripura after unknown miscreants vandalise Shive Temple (Source: ENews Time and Northeast Herald)
In August 2024, an idol of Goddess Kali was found beheaded in Katraibari village in Ranirbazar area of Tripura. The incident sparked communal tension in the area over the desecration of the 30-year-old temple.
Idol of Goddess Kali vandalised, car burns after arson attack, images via East Mojo
5. Hijab row in Tripura
The debate over the wearing of hijab by female Muslim students, in complete disregard to existing school uniform rules, reached the northeastern State of Tripura in August 2023.
Muslims students, studying at the government-run Koroimura Higher Secondary School in the Sepahijala district courted controversy after they flouted school norms and attended classes in hijab.
The headmaster of the Koroimura Higher Secondary School, Priyatosh Nandi, intervened in the matter and urged all students to wear school uniforms irrespective of religion.
He told the media, “After a meeting with teachers, I recently directed all students to attend school wearing proper uniform. However, girl students from the minority community said they cannot follow this directive as wearing hijab is a religious belief.”
A group of Hindu boys thereafter wore saffron-coloured kurta to the school in protest. They however assured to wear school uniform if every student, irrespective of their religion, followed it.
In the meantime, a 10th Std Muslim student (studying at the same school) vandalised the room of the headmaster in ‘protest’. He was thereafter thrashed by a group of people.
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