Idol of Goddess Durga vandalised, derogatory remarks made against Hindu deities by miscreant amidst Navratri celebrations in Greater Noida
Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India 
23 March, 2026
Case Summary
In Reelkha village, within the Dankaur police station area of Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, a sacred Durga idol inside a temple was vandalised by a miscreant named Babit Gautam. The accused also hurled derogatory comments against Hindu gods and goddesses. This occurred on 24 March 2026 during the ongoing Navratri celebrations. According to media reports, the Durga idol installed in the temple was damaged under unknown circumstances on the night of 24 March 2026. Villagers stated that the accused youth caused damage to the idol. In addition to breaking the idol, he also made offensive remarks and abuses against Hindu deities. Upon receiving the information, a large number of villagers arrived at the scene and protested. Following the incident, a group of villagers reached the Dankaur police station late at night and filed a written complaint against the accused. The complainants included several villagers, including Amit, Pradeep, Prashant, Arun, Sonu, Naveen, Varun, Vikas, and Pawan. They demanded that the police arrest the accused and take strict action against him. The Hindu villagers said the incident hurt their religious sentiments and could disrupt the peace of the village. They demanded immediate action from the police administration. Dankaur police station in-charge Munendra Singh said that an investigation had been initiated based on the complaint. He also said that legal action would be taken based on the police findings. The police also appealed for peace in the village.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case is added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. The subcategory selected is- Desecration of Hindu religious symbols. 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. The other subcategory selected is- Attack on Temples. 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. Another primary category selected is- Hate speech against Hindus. The subcategory selected is- Anti-Hindu slurs, mocking faith. Anti-Hindu slurs and the deliberate mocking of the Hindu faith owing to religious animosity involve the usage of derogatory terms, stereotypes, or offensive references to religious practices, symbols, or figures. One of the common anti-Hindu slurs used against Hindus is “cow-worshipper” and “cow piss drinker”. The intention of using this term is to demean and mock Hindus as a group and their religious beliefs since Hindus consider the cow holy. Additionally, some symbols and the slurs attached to them have a historical context that exacerbates the insult, hate, stereotyping, dehumanisation and oppression against Hindus. Cow worship has been used for centuries to denigrate Hindus, insult their faith and oppress Hindus specifically as a religious group. There has been overwhelming documentation about how cow slaughter has been used to persecute Hindus with cow meat being thrown in temples and places of worship. There has also been overwhelming documentation where cow meat (beef) has been force-fed to Hindus to either forcefully convert them to Islam or denigrate their faith. Apart from cow worship, the Swastika – which holds deep religious significance for the Hindus – has also been misinterpreted and distorted to use as a slur against Hindus. Similarly, the worship of the Shivling has been used by supremacist ideologies and religions to denigrate Hindus owing to religious animosity. Such slurs and denigration stem out of inherent animosity and hate towards Hindus and their faith, therefore, it is categorised as hate speech targeted at Hindus specifically owing to their religious identity. This case stood as a clear example of an anti-Hindu hate crime, as the perpetrator desecrated the sacred idol of Goddess Durga during the Navratri festival and hurled derogatory remarks against Hindu deities. Both these acts, carried out with blatant contempt, desecrated holy symbols central to Hindu worship and verbally assaulted the divine figures Hindus revere as protectors and guides. This overall makes it a crime motivated by religious hostility towards Hinduism and its adherents. Idols of Hindu deities are regarded as profoundly sacred by Hindus and hold paramount religious significance. They embody the living presence of the divine, meticulously crafted through ancient rituals such as prana pratishtha to infuse them with vital spiritual energy, serving as focal points for prayer, offerings, and intimate personal connection to the gods. The Durga idol, in particular, represents the invincible mother goddess who vanquishes evil, symbolising unyielding feminine power, protection, and triumph during Navratri's nine sacred nights of worship. Desecrating this idol constituted a grievous violation, striking at the very heart of Hindu faith and amounting to a hate crime through the deliberate profanation of what devotees hold eternally sacred. This inflicted severe hurt on the religious sentiments of the Hindu community, leaving them feeling deeply violated and powerless, marking it unequivocally as an anti-Hindu hate crime fuelled by pernicious bigotry. The fact that this occurred inside a Hindu temple amplified its gravity, as temples function as sacred abodes pulsating with divine energy, community gatherings for rituals, festivals, and solace, where idols reside as the very soul animating the space. Temples and their enshrined idols form inseparable parts of the temple ecosystem, with the deity's presence granting the structure its religious importance, vitality, and purpose; without the idol, the temple loses its consecrated essence. Attacking and desecrating the idol inside thus amounted to an assault not just on the statue but on the entire temple ecosystem, desecrating its holiness and communal role. Such attacks on Hindu temples stemmed from anti-Hindu bigotry and hostility, transforming places of peace into sites of trauma. The fact that the perpetrator made derogatory remarks against Hindu deities intensified the crime's severity, as these deities form core elements of Hindu spiritual identity and devotion. Such abusive language showcased the perpetrator's deep animosity towards Hinduism, directly attacking sacred figures central to the Hindu faith. This wounded Hindu sentiments profoundly, causing hurt and humiliation, and marked it as a clear case of a religiously motivated hate crime. The desecration of Goddess Durga's idol and abuse of Hindu deities occurred inside a Hindu temple during Navratri celebrations, a time that showcased unbridled religious animosity. Navratri honours the goddess through fervent worship, garba dances, fasting, and recitations, filling temples with joyous anticipation of divine blessings. This sacrilege shattered that sacred atmosphere, desecrating the festival itself by turning reverence into revulsion and halting celebrations mid-flow. It caused deep, irreparable hurt to Hindus' sentiments during their most cherished festival, when emotions peak in devotion to the mother goddess, rendering it a clear case of anti-Hindu hate crime designed to humiliate at the faith's jubilant core. Given that this case meets the parameters of a religiously driven offence, it is being added to the Hate Crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
