Highway Vandalism Fuels Communal Tension in Ghaziabad as Fringe Group Defies Public Order

The act was reportedly led by Pinky Chaudhary, the self-styled president of the Hindu Raksha Dal, who subsequently released a video statement defending the vandalism. In a contentious justification that has been widely debunked, Chaudhary claimed that the Muslim community does not contribute to the nation’s tax revenue and, therefore, should be barred from using public infrastructure. These assertions fly in the face of fiscal reality, as all Indian citizens—regardless of faith—contribute to the exchequer through a multi-tiered system of indirect taxes such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST), vehicle registration fees, fuel excise, and mandatory toll payments required to access national highways.

This is not the first time the Hindu Raksha Dal has courted controversy. The group has a documented history of provocative behavior, including past incidents where members were arrested for vandalizing political offices and making inflammatory speeches targeting minority communities. Despite the visible presence of the hate speech on a high-traffic arterial road, Ghaziabad authorities have yet to take formal action to remove the markings or detain those responsible. This perceived administrative silence has intensified calls on social media for the Uttar Pradesh police to register cases under stringent sections of the law pertaining to the promotion of enmity between different groups on grounds of religion.

The incident highlights a disturbing trend of fringe elements attempting to claim ownership over public spaces through exclusionary rhetoric. As the graffiti remains on the highway barriers, the silence from the district administration continues to draw fire from legal experts and civil society, who argue that such unchecked acts of vandalism undermine the constitutional right to freedom of movement. Beyond the physical defacement of infrastructure, the event underscores the growing challenge for law enforcement to balance public order with the aggressive posturing of fringe organizations that operate under the guise of cultural protection.