Attack on RSS workers during religious event in Jaipur given communal spin

What is the claim?

Reports of an attack on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers at a religious event in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on October 17 have been shared with a communal angle, alleging that Muslims were responsible. Viral posts use the term "specific community" to imply Muslim involvement in the incident.

Sudarshan News, in a video shared on X (formerly Twitter), claimed that “people of a particular community are once again trying to spoil communal harmony... RSS's Sharad Purnima Kheer distribution program in Jaipur was attacked with knives... Eight RSS workers were injured and admitted to SMS Trauma Center.” This post garnered 1,500 likes and over 800 retweets. Similar claims can be found in archived versions of other posts linked here, here, and here.

Screenshots of viral posts shared online with a communal claim. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, our investigation revealed that both the attackers and victims belong to the Hindu community, contradicting claims of a communal motive behind the incident.

What we found

A keyword search led us to multiple media reports covering the October 17 incident. An AajTak report states that the attack on RSS workers occurred at a temple in Jaipur’s Rajni Vihar area during kheer (rice pudding) distribution on the occasion of Sharad Purnima (a religious festival marking the end of the monsoon season). 

The report indicates that seven to eight people were injured and taken to the Sawai Man Singh Hospital nearby. The assailant was identified as Naseeb Chaudhary.

An October 18 report by NDTV Rajasthan quotes Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kunwar Rashtradeep, clarifying that the accused in the knife attack is not Muslim but part of the Hindu community. “The attacker’s name is Naseeb Chaudhary, and confusion arose due to his name, leading to the false portrayal of this internal dispute as a communal incident,” the report states.

A video featuring ACP Rashtradeep on the ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan X account (archived here) provides additional details. He explains that Naseeb Chaudhary, who lived near the temple, and his son attacked attendees with knives and sticks, injuring at least six people. Both were arrested the same night, and the ACP denied any Muslim involvement in the incident.

Logically Facts also contacted ACP Rashtradeep, who confirmed that both the accused and the victims belong to the Hindu community. He stated, "The person named Naseeb Chaudhary (the accused) is a Jaat (a traditionally agricultural community in Northern India). His son’s name is Bhishma Chaudhary, and his wife’s name is Nirmala Chaudhary. They are Hindus, and all three have been arrested. No Muslim is involved in this incident. This is not a matter between two communities."

The ACP further noted that the attack was not due to the victims being RSS workers but rather because the accused objected to the religious event. He added that the accused may not have known that attendees were associated with the RSS and stated that the accused has a criminal record.

Following the incident, the Jaipur Development Authority used a bulldozer to demolish Chaudhary’s house in Rajni Vihar. The Deccan Herald reported that on October 20, a portion of a structure illegally built on temple land, allegedly constructed by the father-son duo, was demolished.

The verdict 

Our investigation confirms that the individuals who attacked RSS workers during the religious event in Jaipur are not Muslims but Jats belonging to the Hindu community.

(Translated by Vanita Ganesh)