Islamist ‘journalists’ peddle Hindu saints molested girl, Police debunks false claim
Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India 
21 October, 2024
Case Summary
A video from Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, went viral, showing two Hindu saints riding a bike and arguing with locals, which eventually escalated into a physical altercation. Islamist journalists Zakir Ali Tyagi and Kavish Aziz falsely claimed the saints had molested a girl and assaulted a man who objected to their actions. The video, about 2 minutes and 6 seconds long, was shared by Zakir Ali Tyagi on October 23, 2024. “Two sadhus were publicly thrashed after molesting a girl in Ayodhya. A young man who objected to their action was later beaten by the sadhus as well. They rode away on a bike after harassing the girl,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Aziz echoed the claims, adding communal undertones by suggesting the saints invoked religion to shield themselves. Ayodhya police investigated the incident, which occurred on October 22 near Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir Tiraha in the Cantt police station area. The police clarified that the altercation resulted from remarks made about creating a video reel and escalated into a brawl. There was no evidence of molestation or harassment. Two individuals involved in the dispute were arrested, and legal action was initiated. The police also issued warnings against spreading false information to prevent communal tensions. Despite the police's clarification, Zakir Ali Tyagi continued to spread falsehoods. He lashed out at a fact-checking handle that debunked his claims, using abusive language and citing unverified media reports to defend his stance. “Hey, shove your fake analysis up your a**,” he responded to a social media user.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the database under the prime category of- Hate speech against Hindus. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Anti-Hindu subversion and prejudice, within which, the tertiary category- Anti-Hindu fake news or downplaying has also been selected. Hate speech is defined as any speech, gesture, conduct, writing, or display that is prejudicial against a specific individual and/or group of people, which is leading to or may lead to violence, prejudicial action or hate against that individual and/or group. Media plays a specific and overarching reach in perpetuating prejudicial attitudes towards a community owing to unfair, untrue coverage and/or misrepresentation/misinterpretation, selective coverage and/or omission of facts of/pertaining to issues affecting a specific religious group. This type of bias can dehumanise the victim group, making it easier for others to justify harmful actions against them, which aligns with the objectives of hate speech laws aimed at preventing such harm. It is often observed that the media takes a prejudicial stand against the Hindu community driven by their need to shield the aggressor community which happens to be a numeric minority, however, is the one perpetrating violence against Hindus. For example, the media is often quick to contextualise religiously motivated crimes against Hindus, omit or misrepresent facts that point towards religiously motivated hate crimes, justify and/or downplay religiously motivated hate crimes or simply present fake news to stereotype Hindus. Such media bias leads to the denial of persecution and is often used to dehumanise Hindus, leading to justification for violence against them. For example, the media covered several fake allegations of Hindus targeting Muslims and forcing them to chant Jai Shree Ram. Most of these cases were proved false and fabricated after police investigation. These fake news reports were subsequently never retracted or clarified. Such fake news led to the justification of violence and dehumanisation of Hindus based on the argument that since Hindus targeted Muslims and forced them to chant Jai Shree Ram, the dehumanisation of Hindus and violence against them was par for the course and merely a retaliation. Such media bias leads to prejudicial portrayal of Hindus and offers a justification for violence against them and therefore, is considered hate speech under this category. Here, Islamists spread misleading claims that the saints had molested a girl and assaulted a man who objected to their behaviour. These fabricated accusations were not only baseless but also served to tarnish the image of Hindu saints, who are revered figures in the community. Despite the police's investigation clearing the saints of any wrongdoing, the continued spread of these falsehoods only intensified the effort to vilify Hindus. Such behaviour underscores a deliberate effort to belittle and disrespect the Hindu faith, highlighting the religiously motivated nature of these actions and as such this incident is being categorised as a religiously motivated hate crime against Hindus.
Victim Details
Total Victim
2
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 2
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 2
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 2
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
