Dogs Left a Calf Carcass Near a Haldwani Temple, But Hindutva Groups Were Quick to Attack Muslims
New Delhi: There was a palpable sense of tension in Haldwani on November 16 after local Hindus discovered parts of the carcass of a newborn calf near the Ujaleshwar temple in Banbhoolpura. The next day, social media became rife with fake news and wild claims about Muslims slaughtering the calf to humiliate Hindus.
Even as the police filed a case and attempted to calm the atmosphere, in a matter of hours, Hindutva influencers and even a local BJP leader, Vipin Pandey, called upon Hindus to give a befitting response to the supposed cow killers. “All Sanatanis unite. Don’t sleep tonight,” Pandey allegedly wrote, according to the FIR on the incident. Another Hindutva activist named Yatin Pande wrote, “They can burn the city and slaughter a cow. But if Hindus speak up that spoils the atmosphere. Wake up Hindus.”
Pandey was arrested for his inciting words on November 20, but released on bail on November 23. He has a track record of communally charged hate speech.
One influencer reportedly linked this rumoured cow slaughter to the Shama Deluxe hotel, owned by a Muslim man named Amir Hamza. He also owns the Shama restaurant, one of the oldest and most popular restaurants serving meat in the city.
Hamza told The Wire that after incitement on social media, Hindutva supporters pelted stones at his new restaurant and damaged bikes parked outside the property. Police had to resort to lathi charge to drive the mob away. Seven people were arrested and 50 others booked for rioting. Hamza praised the police for acting quickly and restraining the protestors. “I want to thank the administration for taking immediate action, but what about the loss to my property and the damage to my reputation?” he asked, demanding strict action against the influencers who provoked the violence.
CCTV footage accessed by The Wire shows a stray dog had left the remains of the calf near the temple. SP (Crime) Jagdish Chandra too has confirmed this to reporters. “Without any proof, without waiting for the investigation, they linked it to me,” said Hamza.
हल्द्वानी में फैली भ्रामक सूचनाओं के बीच SSP नैनीताल डॉ मंजूनाथ टीसी की अपील🙏📢@uttarakhandcops@DIGKUMAUN #Haldwani pic.twitter.com/2kUtmAA1eJ
— Nainital Police Uttarakhand (@nainitalpolice_) November 17, 2025
Shadab Alam, who works with the Association for Protection of Civil Rights, told The Wire that this is the second incident of ‘cow vigilantism’ recently. Last month, a Muslim man named Nasir was brutally assaulted in Ramnagar for transporting meat that vigilantes claimed was beef. “It turned out to be buffalo meat,” he said. “We approached the court and sought action against the vigilantes.”
Nasir was waylaid by vigilantes after local BJP leader and former city president of the party Madan Joshi wrongly claimed that cow meat was being smuggled. Not only did the attackers livestream their violence, they also attempted to incite communal violence. Nasir’s family had accused the local police of inaction and siding with the accused. “I am happy that the court took a strong view and even denied bail to the attackers,” Alam said.
Like Ramnagar, the otherwise quiet city of Haldwani has been somewhat on edge for the past two years. The trigger for this was the threat of demolition that looms large over Banbhoolpura. In January 2024, six Muslim men lost their lives after protests against demolitions turned violent. The talk of SIR and the narrative around undocumented immigrants has only added to these anxieties.
Alam feels that after the Haridwar Dharam Sansad in 2021, where calls for a genocide against Muslims were made, things had begun to cool down - but the BJP government has suddenly become unpopular and is facing protests on several fronts. This new wave of polarisation, he suspects, is its natural reaction.
Of the recent protests, a big one was in September 2025, after widespread allegations of cheating and paper leaks in recruitment exams. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami - instead of taking the matter seriously and calling for a fair probe - called the leaks ‘Nakal Jihad’, spreading yet another bogey of an Islamic conspiracy against Hindus.
The intensity of communal incitement, Alam said, has suddenly escalated in recent weeks. “You have people on both sides who want their community to believe that there is nothing good about the other community. We are sitting on a powder keg. Even a small incident can blow out of proportion and engulf the city into flames of communal violence.”
This article went live on November twenty-seventh, two thousand twenty five, at twenty-eight minutes past one in the afternoon.The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
