The 1990 Bijnor riot was the deadliest communal violence linked to the Hindu nationalist Babri Masjid campaign, killing at least 87 people, mostly Muslims.
Key Facts
- Official death toll
- 87 people
- Unofficial death toll
- 200–300 people
- Majority of victims
- Muslims
- State
- Uttar Pradesh, India
- Trigger
- Celebratory procession by local Hindu groups
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The riots grew out of a celebratory procession organized by local Hindu groups in the context of intensifying Hindu nationalist campaigns, particularly those surrounding the disputed Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya. State machinery was found to have been passively and actively complicit in the unfolding violence.
In October 1990, communal violence erupted in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, between Hindu and Muslim communities. The riot became the most destructive of those concurrent with the Hindu nationalist mobilization of that period. Official figures recorded 87 deaths, while unofficial estimates ranged from 200 to 300, with Muslims constituting the majority of casualties.
The Bijnor riot deepened communal tensions across Uttar Pradesh and contributed to the broader climate of religious polarization that culminated in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992. The state's complicity highlighted systemic failures in protecting minority communities during periods of sectarian unrest.
Political Outcome
Severe communal violence resulting in 87 official deaths (up to 300 unofficial), mostly Muslim, amid state complicity; contributed to escalating Hindu-Muslim tensions leading to the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992.