Principal Muhammed Shafiq deletes Ganesh Chathurti greeting messages by Hindus on school’s WhatsApp group twice
Kota, Rajasthan, India 
6 September, 2024
Case Summary
In Laturi village, Kota district, Rajasthan, on September 7, 2024, Muhammed Shafiq, the principal of a government school, deleted Ganesh Chaturthi greeting messages from the school’s common WhatsApp group on two separate occasions. This prompted outrage among Hindu teachers and parents, leading to a protest outside the school where they demanded Shafiq's removal. Shafiq was arrested by the police for disturbing social harmony. The WhatsApp group, part of the Block School Development Committee, included the principal, teachers, block education officers, and guardians, serving as a platform for discussing important school matters. On the morning of Ganesh Chaturthi, several Hindu members posted greetings in the group. The first deletion of a greeting by Shafiq was initially overlooked by the members, who thought it might have been a mistake. However, when he deleted a second greeting just two hours later, the Hindu members felt offended. The police indicated that Shafiq claimed the deletions were accidental, but the circumstances raised suspicions.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The incident in Laturi village, Kota district, where Muhammad Shafiq, a government school principal, deleted Ganesh Chaturthi greetings from a school WhatsApp group, has been classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under the category of-Restriction/ban on Hindu practices. Under this, the sub-category selected is-Restriction on expression of Hindu identity. An example of the state-affected prejudicial and targeted orders against the Hindu community would be a government denying the right of a Hindu or a group of Hindus to hold a religious procession owing to the animosity of non-Hindu groups. Denial of the religious right of the Hindus to assuage the non-Hindu group which harbours animosity to a point where it could lead to violence against Hindus is not only a failure of law and order but is a prejudicial order against Hindus, denying them their fundamental rights to express their religious identity. An example of a hate crime against Hindus by a non-Hindu would be a non-Hindu institution forcing its Hindu employees to abandon religious symbols that a Hindu would wear as an expression of faith owing to inherent prejudice against the faith professed by the victim or a non-Hindu group of people restricting a Hindu group from constructing a place of worship simply because the demography of the area in which the temple is being built is dominated by non-Hindus. Such actions are driven by religious animosity and/or prejudice against Hindus and their faith and would therefore be categorized as a hate crime. Ganesh Chaturthi is a significant festival in Hinduism and the greetings shared in the group were an expression of Hindu cultural and religious identity. By deleting the greetings twice, Shafiq's actions sent a message of intolerance toward Hindu religious expressions. There could be no other reason than an inherent animosity against Hinduism that led them to commit the offence. Since disrespect for the Hindu religion is the primary purpose behind this incident, this case has been added to the tracker under the following category.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
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