Hyderabad: The case of an auto driver’s communal message on his vehicle has now snowballed into a huge issue on social media, with right-wing groups using the incident to spread more hate. From local influencers to even other auto drivers, the message being driven, as always with Hindutva groups, is that Hindus in Telangana are facing oppression of all kinds.
The entire episode pertains to the driver, C Bharat Kumar, writing the following on the back of his vehicle: Anyone born on this earth is a Hindu, Jai Shri Ram! Changing your religion is like changing your father. This prompted a local person to question Kumar, and the matter eventually reached the Attapur Police on July 14. Moreover, a purported conversation between the auto driver and a sub-inspector compounded the matter further, as the cop questioned Kumar over the message.
The incident with the auto driver in Hyderabad has galvanised the right-wing in Telangana online, which, over the last few years, has been able to amplify its hateful messages. In fact, both in Hyderabad and the districts, communal incidents have been visibly on the rise, with even minor altercations turning into Hindu-Muslim fights.
Since Kumar’s issue came to light, many, including right-wing local influencers, have jumped to his defense.
“What did he write wrong? There are others who write ‘world is Islam’ on their vehicles. What action is the SI taking against them? You are an SI. Shouldn’t you speak responsibly?” questioned a man associated with the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit while speaking to the media on the matter. Similarly, scores of pages on social media have exploded with many supporting the auto driver in question, while asserting their religious identity.
Another Instagram user, maheshhindu_official_214, also put up a video, claiming that “Islamic gundas” attacked the auto driver in Hyderabad. “Many Hindus said they wanted to help him, so I am putting up his scanner (QR code) below. You can confirm and help him,” he said in his video post. Similar videos have gone viral, with many Hindutva groups giving it an anti-Hindu spin.
While local BJP leaders in Hyderabad have also become hyperactive and latched onto this issue, leaders from the ruling Congress have been silent. When asked why the party is not addressing issues like this, or the general rise of communal incidents, a senior leader from the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) agreed that the spread of such incidents has become commonplace now.
“The state Home Ministry is with the Chief Minister, who also has other portfolios. If there is a strong independent person holding it, then it will make a big difference. But the BJP is also using anything it can to further its divisive agenda in the state,” he told Siasat.com.
Prior incidents in Hyderabad and Telangana
In the past few weeks, a Muslim school principal was assaulted in police presence by BJP’s Armoor president Mandula Balu over allegations that Urdu and Islamic teachings were being taught to non-Muslim students in a school. The victim, Amer Khan, later explained that the non-Muslim students were simply seated together due to ongoing construction in another class and that they had not been taught anything religious.
Many then pointed out that even if Urdu was taught, it was made out to be an alien language, despite the fact that it is the state’s second official language. Prior to this, in 2025, the state also witnessed a spate of communal violence, which was back-to-back.
These include an attack on the Pochamma temple of Jokul village in Shamshabad near the Hyderabad airport by miscreants who damaged three idols of deities. Another similar incident took place at the Hanuman temple in Shamshabad, where idols were again damaged. The vandalisations led to a huge protest by right-wing groups such as the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal.
In fact, in the case of Bharat Kumar, many from these groups have gone around the city asking Hindu auto drivers to “speak up” and assert their Hindu identity by making claims of their religion being under attack.
Another major incident outside of Hyderabad was in Jainoor mandal of Kumaram Bheem-Asifabad district, where several shops of Muslims were burnt by at least a few thousand tribals in September 2024. The violence transpired after a Muslim man’s attempt to sexually assault and murder a tribal woman.
