Muslim man on his way to the mosque desecrates Muthyalamma temple, vandalises idol
Hyderabad, Telangana, India 
13 October, 2024
Case Summary
The idol of the Muthyalamma temple in Kurmaguda, Telangana, was vandalized. One of the miscreants responsible for the act was captured by locals and handed over to the police within the Market police station limits. CCTV footage showed a young man, dressed in a white kurta and black Islamic skull cap, vandalizing the temple idol by kicking it. The vandalism sparked outrage among the local Hindu residents. A large crowd gathered near the temple, protesting and calling for strict action against those involved. The Hyderabad Police later made significant progress in the case, arresting 24-year-old Saleem Salman Thakur, who had been seen in the CCTV footage. Saleem admitted to vandalizing the temple while on his way to a nearby mosque. During the investigation, police discovered that Saleem had been staying at the Secunderabad Cine Police Hotel, a 50-room facility known to be frequented by thieves. Further investigation revealed that Saleem had become radicalized after attending a month-long workshop on personality development conducted by Munawar Zama, a Mumbai-based motivational speaker, at the Metropolis Hotel in Regimental Bazaar. The police arrested Zama, along with Abdul Rasheed Basheer Ahmed and Rehman, the manager and proprietor of the hotel, for inciting hatred and promoting religious tensions under the guise of personality development training. It was revealed that the workshop was designed to foster enmity between communities, with anti-Hindu sentiments being promoted among the attendees. The authorities also discovered that the workshop, attended by 151 individuals from various parts of India, was held without official permission. Participants were radicalized through videos of Islamic preachers, including the fugitive Zakir Naik. Saleem, one of the attendees, vandalized the Muthyalamma temple idol after being influenced by the material shared during the workshop. The police filed charges against the three under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including promoting enmity between groups and inciting riots. Munawar Zama, the founder of English House Academy, was charged with organizing the workshop with the help of his associates Basheer and Rehman. Zama, who has millions of followers on social media, claimed the workshop was focused on skills like public speaking and confidence building, but the police found it was being used to incite religious hatred.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of 'Attack on Hindu religious symbols'. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Desecration of Hindu religious symbol. Icons and symbols or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal are widely revered in Hinduism. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations, is driven by animosity towards the faith itself which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. In this case, a Muslim man named Saleem Salman desecrated the idol kept in the Muthyalamma temple in Kurmaguda, Telangana. During interrogation, he admitted to vandalizing the temple while on his way to a nearby mosque. Such attacks on the premises of a temple that aim to cause harm to the temple or its devotees demonstrate the inherent Hinduphobia that radical Muslims harbour inside them. For this reason, this case qualifies for inclusion in the hate tracker database.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
