Azad Maidan riots

Azad Maidan Riots was initially a protest organized in Azad Maidan on 11 August 2012 to condemn the Rakhine riots and Assam riots, which later turned into a riot. The riot reportedly began as the crowd got angry either after hearing an inflammatory speech or after seeing photographs of Assam violence and Rakhine state riots. The riot resulted in two deaths and injuries to 54 people including 45 policemen. Mumbai Police estimated that the riots caused a loss of ₹2.74 crore in damages to public and private property.

The indigenous Bodo community of Assam alleged that the Muslim population is increasing in Assam due to the large influx of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, while the local Muslim community brushed it aside saying that they migrated to Assam during the British Raj. But, with the increasing population, there arose competition for lands, livelihood and power, which led to Assam agitation. Both the indigenous people of Assam and Bengali Muslims felt that the Central Government failed to protect both sides.

In 1998, Lt Gen SK Sinha, who was then Governor of Assam, had sent a report to then Indian President, KR Narayanan, explaining about the problems that the unchecked illegal immigration of Bangladeshis would bring to the integrity of India. In that report, he had highlighted the history that Assam was first claimed by Pakistan during 1947 and then by Bangladesh, due to its rich natural resources. The report raised worries about what might happen if the illegal immigrants gain majority and ask for secession from India. He also cited the 'Greater Bangladesh project' which might entice the immigrants to merge those regions of Assam with Bangladesh

The rapid growth of international Islamic fundamentalism may provide the driving force for this demand. The loss of lower Assam will severe the entire North-East from the rest of India and the rich natural resources of that region will be lost to the nation.

This ethnic tension between the indigenous Bodo people and Bengali Muslims escalated into a riot in Kokrajhar on 20 July 2012, when unidentified miscreants killed four Bodo youths at Joypur. This was followed by retaliatory attacks on local Muslims killing two and injuring several of them on the morning of 21 July 2012. The continued riot has consumed 77 people and had displaced more than 4 lakh people.