Protest in Kolkata, India against the “bulldozer demolition drive” in Delhi. Image by Ashid Reza. Used with permission. This story is part of a Civic Media Observatory investigation into the Indian media ecosystem. To learn more about this project and its methods, click here. Anti-Muslim violence has been escalating in India with state-sponsored attacks on Muslims and open calls for genocide becoming increasingly common. On the other hand, through strategic campaigns and the dissemination of misinformation and propaganda on social media platforms and primetime news channels, right-wing groups have made Hindus believe in their victimhood. They have convinced the majority that the only way they can protect their rights and freedom is by eliminating Muslims from the country. “Hindus are under threat,” “Muslims should be treated as second class citizens,” and “Secularism marginalizes India's Hindus” were the top narrative frames present in media items in the CMO research. Less than a week after India witnessed communal clashes and riots in several states on April 10, 2022, during the celebration of Ram Navami (a festival to celebrate the Hindu god Rama), similar violence broke out in the capital of India, New Delhi on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti (a festival celebrating the birth of the Hindu god Hanuman). Under the governance of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), right-wing Hindutva outfits have gathered the support and authorisation to carry out their alleged mission of turning India into an Hindu nation. To that end, Hindu religious festivals and processions have reportedly been weaponised to assert Hindu supremacy and threaten minority communities. These “Shobha Yatras” or processions have been used as a tool to disrupt existing communal harmony in several places in India and attack Muslims who are seen to be enemies of Hindutva. On Saturday, April 16, communal clashes broke out in Jahangirpuri in New Delhi when Hindu groups held a shobha yatra to celebrate Hanuman Jayanti. Videos from the procession showed saffron-clad Hindu men brandishing swords, shotguns, sticks, and other weapons while passing through Jahangirpuri (which has a sizeable Muslim population), dancing to songs and chanting slogans all of which contained Islamophobic statements and anti-Muslim threats. They allegedly tried to wave saffron flags (which are a symbol of Hinduism and Hindutva) in front of a local mosque, which then led to clashes. The very next day, Delhi Police made 22 arrests in relation to the violence. All the arrested individuals were Muslims. Delhi Police issued a statement citing the names of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal (both right-wing Hindutva outfits) in relation to the Jahangirpuri violence. They also filed a First information report (FIR) against the two groups for holding the procession without prior police permission or clearance. The VHP then openly made threats claiming that it would launch a “battle” against Delhi Police if any action were taken against its members. Shortly after, Delhi Police retracted the statement and issued a new one that made no mention of the two groups. Meanwhile, Hindu right-wing groups and their supporters took to social media to give the signature battle cry “Hindu khatre main hain” (Hindus are under threat). Right-wing editorial media outlets like Sudarshan TV, OPIndia, Aaj Tak , and Zee News, were quick to build a narrative that demonised Muslims and blamed them wholly for the violence. They claimed that Muslims were intentionally targeting Hindus who were just trying to peacefully celebrate their festival. They asserted that any action that prevents Hindus from celebrating their religious festivals in any way they please is an act of anti-Hindu aggression. Independent news platform Sight and Insight tweeted: Without caption!#HindusUnderAttackInIndia#जहांगीरपुरी pic.twitter.com/2jjcwlwjsx — SIGHT AND INSIGHT (@Sight_Insight) April 18, 2022 The tweet above is just an example of Islamophobic narratives that flooded social media platforms the week following the incident. In response, Hindu groups started demanding bulldozers in New Delhi to demolish the homes and shops of Muslims whom they claimed to be “rioters,” just like what had earlier happened in Madhya Pradesh on April 11, following the Ram Navami violence. CMO research data shows that dubious pro-Hindutva editorial media outlets helped amplify this call and uphold a larger demand that Muslims be punished for disrupting Hindu festivals. “The News,” part of a set of editorial media channels, notorious for manipulated and biased reporting, published its report on the incident with 9.9 million views on Facebook.