On Friday, 1st August, a flood of misleading posts took over social media platforms, especially X (formerly known as Twitter), falsely portraying a communal incident onboard an Indigo flight. The central claim? That a Hindu man had assaulted a Muslim co-passenger mid-flight. But what actually unfolded was far removed from this carefully crafted narrative.

Numerous prominent leftist and Islamist users quickly latched onto the incident, turning it into another opportunity to propagate the overused and often manipulative theme of ‘Muslim victimhood.’ They rushed to amplify the Muslim identity of the victim while slapping labels like ‘Hindu,’ ‘Sanghi,’ and other derogatory tags on the accused—without any factual confirmation. The attempt was not merely to report a case of violence but to stoke religious tensions through selective misinformation.

Screengrab of the tweets by prominent leftists and Islamists on X

But while they spun the tale of ‘oppressed Muslim vs violent Hindu,’ they conveniently left out the most crucial detail—that the alleged attacker was also a Muslim. This truth alone dismantled the entire false narrative that was being circulated with such frenzy.

Actual Sequence of Events

The real events took place on a Kolkata-to-Mumbai Indigo flight. The passenger who was assaulted was identified as Hossain Ahmed Mazumdar, a native of the Cachar district in Assam. According to reports, Hossain suffered a panic attack while the aircraft was still grounded, which delayed the takeoff. Agitated by the situation, another passenger—Hafijul Rahman—reacted violently and slapped him.

A video recording from within the flight later emerged online. It clearly shows another co-passenger confronting the attacker, asking, “Why did you slap him? You don’t have any right to hit anybody.” The video also shows Hossain crying after the assault. According to initial reports, Hossain has reportedly gone missing after the incident, raising further concern.

The attacker, Hafijul Rahman, was deboarded in Kolkata and arrested by CISF personnel. The incident drew a response from the airline as well.

Indigo’s Official Statement

Indigo Airlines issued an official response the same day, clarifying the situation and condemning the act. In their statement, they wrote:

“We are aware of an incident involving a physical altercation on board one of our flights. Such unruly behaviour is completely unacceptable and we strongly condemn any actions that compromise the safety and dignity of our passengers and crew. Our crew acted in accordance with established Standard Operating Procedures.”

They further added:

“The individual involved was identified as unruly and handed over to the security authorities upon arrival. All appropriate regulatory agencies have been duly informed, in line with protocol. We remain committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment on all our flights.”

A Manufactured Narrative Falls Apart

As soon as the video surfaced, a chorus of Twitter users—many of whom are known for their ideological affiliations—leapt into action. They branded the perpetrator as a Hindu extremist, and used this singular incident to paint a bleak picture of India's secular future.

But their web of misinformation began to unravel quickly. Journalist Jagriti Chandra from 'The Hindu' was one of the first to set the record straight. She pointed out that both the attacker and the victim were Muslims, citing Indigo Airlines as her source.

Eventually, other media outlets also confirmed the name of the assailant as Hafijul Rahman. And once the truth came out, the same handles that had amplified the false narrative silently moved on, searching for the next opportunity to peddle their version of ‘Muslim persecution’.

This incident is a stark reminder of how selective outrage and misinformation can distort real events to suit a narrative. It also shows the urgent need for fact-checking and responsible journalism, especially in a digital world where lies spread faster than the truth.