India: Muslim Mob Attacks Police While Defying Directive Against Roadside Prayers

Muslim crowds protesting restrictions on offering Islamic prayer, namaz, on public roads clashed violently with police at Kolkata’s Muslim-dominated Park Circus seven-point crossing on the evening of Sunday, May 17. The Muslim mob hurled stones and bricks at security personnel and damaged several vehicles, including police and CRPF vehicles, thereby forcing authorities to resort to lathi (baton)-charge operations to contain the mayhem and restore order. According to police officials, at least three police personnel sustained severe injuries during the jihadis’ attack.

The unrest occurred amid growing tensions over state government directives regarding the use of public roads for religious gatherings. The administration recently instructed local authorities and police to prevent large-scale roadside namaz gatherings that disrupt traffic and public access, which had been a regular spectacle on Fridays in the city for the longest time. Officials stated that prayers should be conducted within mosque premises or designated community spaces, rather than on busy roads and intersections. The government also directed police to ensure that loudspeaker sound from religious places, including mosques, remains within prescribed noise limits. The directive immediately triggered strong opposition from several Muslim organizations and local groups, who claimed the move unfairly targeted their religious practices and traditions.

Tensions had already been brewing since Friday in other Muslim-dominated parts of Kolkata, such as Rajabazar, Topsia, and parts of central Kolkata, where massive Muslim mobs gathered on busy streets to offer Jumma namaz (the Friday congregational prayer) despite restrictions. The previous West Bengal government’s longstanding reluctance to act against such disruptive Muslim crowds, coupled with a pattern of forcing ordinary citizens to accommodate Muslims’ demands, had emboldened them to openly defy official advisories and administrative orders.

Eyewitnesses recounted that roads in Rajabazar were packed with Muslims offering namaz and creating severe traffic disruptions for hours at a stretch on Friday. The situation was so critical that police forces had to be deployed in the area to ensure roads remained accessible, but the skull-capped mob took to the streets in massive numbers, and continued prayers on public roads in defiance of the administration’s order. Videos showing large crowds occupying significant stretches of road during prayer times, intensifying the political and communal debate surrounding the issue, have been widely shared on social media. This defiance escalated into outright jihadist hooliganism by Sunday.

While the protest began as a demonstration against administrative guidelines, it rapidly escalated as Muslims gathered in large numbers near the Park Circus crossing and completely blocked traffic movement. Police and CRPF personnel had already been deployed heavily in anticipation of unrest following Friday’s developments. Authorities attempted to convince demonstrators to vacate the roads and disperse peacefully, but the situation turned violent, and the crowd began throwing stones and bricks at the police.

Several videos that ANI published were shared widely on social media platforms; they showed damaged police vehicles, shattered windshields, and security personnel taking cover amid heavy stone pelting. One CRPF vehicle suffered significant damage during the attack. Eyewitnesses described how panic spread through the area as rioters started throwing stones from all directions; shops were hurriedly shut down, and other businesses were wrapped up quickly to avoid being caught in the violence.

Additional Commissioner of Police Ashesh Biswas confirmed that police personnel had been injured during the clashes. Speaking to ANI, he said, “Some people tried to block the road. It was an illegal gathering. The police were trying to disperse them, and there was some stone pelting at them. Three of our colleagues were injured.” Police officials further stated that legal action had been initiated against those involved in the violence, and that video footage from CCTV cameras and media recordings was being examined to identify individuals responsible for the attacks.

The disruption over roadside namaz has unfolded amid deepening political friction and rising tensions from Muslim groups following the BJP government’s assumption of power in the state earlier this month. The newly-formed government has launched multiple drives to demolish illegal structures, unauthorized encroachments, and unlawful land occupation across several parts of Kolkata and adjoining districts. Demolition drives in areas such as Tiljala and Topsia reportedly generated resentment among sections of the local Muslim population, as many of the structures found to be in violation of municipal norms and subsequently demolished were allegedly Muslim-owned.

By evening, the situation at Park Circus had been brought under control, though heavy police deployment remained in place across sensitive areas, including Rajabazar, Park Circus, and Tiljala. Security personnel conducted patrols and maintained barricades to prevent further gatherings, while traffic movement in parts of central Kolkata remained disrupted for several hours following the violence. Police sources said additional arrests could follow, as investigators continued reviewing footage and gathering evidence related to the stone-throwing and vandalism.