What followed was two weeks of disinformation and fake cases being filed against largely innocent Hindus, by Islamists. Rumours were spread deliberately on social media to fuel the fire and incite violence against Hindus in Leicester. Saturday 17th September 2022 was another dark night when Hindus were attacked, leaving many injured. The early hours of Sunday 18th September were marked with attacks on Hindu-owned businesses and property.

Why Leicester

Leicester is the heartland of the Hindu community in the UK, having thrived there for more than 70 years. Leicester has the second-highest Hindu population in Europe. It hosts the largest Diwali celebration outside India and has acted as a hub for the British Hindu community to live peacefully for decades.

Demographics of Leicester

Leicester Demography [1]

• Christian: 181,882 (32.4%)
• Muslim: 104,413 (18.6%)
• Hindu: 85.327 (15.2%)
• Sikh: 24,700 (4,4%)
• Buddhist: 2 245 (0.40)
• Jewish: 561 (0.1%)

Political Demography of Leicester [2]

The current composition of Leicester City Council out of 54 seats:

• Labour: 50
• Independent: 2
• Lib Dems: 1
• Conservative: 1