Burqa-clad women throw meat inside Moradabad's Chamunda Mata temple
Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India 
15 August, 2024
Case Summary
On August 16, 2024, meat was thrown inside the Chamunda Mata temple in Paigambarpur Sukhwasilal village in Moradabad district, Uttar Pradesh. Villagers stated that two women in burqas and an unidentified man were responsible for placing chicken meat near the temple's idol, which deeply hurt their religious sentiments. Bajrang Dal and other Hindu organisations demanded strict action, and the police registered an FIR against the unknown culprits under Section 299 of the Indian Penal Code. The video of the temple showing pieces of meat and bloodstains went viral on social media. Previously, the temple had also experienced theft and vandalism of its idols.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The case has been added to the hate tracker under the prime category of 'Attack on Hindu religious symbols'. Under this, the sub-category chosen is- Breaking rules of place of worship. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. One of these oral traditions or written traditions is the rules of specific temples. Certain temples have rules which are traditional rules, dependent on the worship of the presiding deities. These rules and traditions have been followed for thousands of years whether they find scriptural mention or not. Such traditions are based on the nature and rules of worship of the presiding deity of that temple. Any non-compliance of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the presiding deity but also disregard for the faith of the devotees of that deity/temple and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition and the deity itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific temple and presiding deity, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. The other sub-category this case is being added to is 'attack on Hindu temple'. In Hinduism, a temple is the abode of the Deity. The Deity in the Temple is consecrated, thereby, making it a real, breathing entity. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the temple premises itself are sacred to Hindus since Hindus hold the faith that the entire Temple space is an amalgamation of the divine energy of the deity. Given the central significance of Temples in Hindu Dharma, any attack against a Hindu Temple or its peripheral premises is an attack on the faith itself and is born out of animosity towards the faith, of which, the Temple is a central tenet. Any manner of attack against a Temple and/or its premises would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. In this case, the Muslim women along with an 'unidentified man' deliberately desecrated a sacred place of worship of the Hindus. The religious sanctity of the place of worship was desecrated when the perpetrators placed meat next to the deity in a deliberate act to undermine the faith of Hindus, desecrate the idol and the temple and display contempt towards the faith.
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
