A wave of religious violence has erupted in Vadodara city of India’s Gujarat state. Though the cause is not clear, a Facebook post was ostensibly deemed offensive by some Muslims. Later on people disseminated the message of rioting with the help of social media and text messages, which escalated religious tensions and eventually turned into a confrontation between the Hindu and Muslim communities. Both groups pelted stones at each other and set many vehicles ablaze. To disperse the agitators, police used tear gas and arrested at least 40 people whereas the city authorities have suspended Internet mobile services for four days. As is commonly known, Gujarat state boasts a history of religious conflict and is home to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi whose Hindu nationalist inclinations are not hidden from the world. The 2002 Gujarat pogrom, in which at least 1,000 people died, the majority being Muslims, occurred under the chief ministership of Modi, who is always accused of being complicit in that violence. The Supreme Court of India however acquitted him of this crime in 2012. The culprits behind that genocide, with the exception of a few, have not been brought to justice. Hence the resentment and anger still lingers in the public under the surface even after twelve years, causing the state’s atmosphere to remain tense. After Modi’s victory in the elections, an aggressive posture was adopted by different Hindu extremist movements (who as a whole are referred to as the Saffron Brigade). Such belligerent stances seem to be escalating over time as the recent dispute in which a Hindu nationalist group, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), warned Muslims and Christians against joining the festivities of the Navratri festival, saying that if they do not pray with us, they do not have any right to dance in our festivals with us. At a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the US trying to sell his ‘Made in India’ campaign to the world and underlining India’s peaceful harmonious culture, such clashes back home are certainly not going to help his efforts. Despite being a Hindu hardliner, the prime minister has to lead in toning down aggressive majoritarian approaches to prevent any further episodes of communal violence. Whether that Facebook post was offensive or not, it definitely touched some raw nerve of the Muslim community that escalated into such violent clashes. The agitators on both sides need to be dealt with firmly to bring an immediate end to the bloodshed before it spreads and becomes worse. *