Hindu sentiments outraged; Muslim-owned restaurant in Malappuram shares derogatory poster of Lord Krishna during Vishu festival
Malappuram, Kerala, India 
13 April, 2026
Case Summary
In Malappuram, Kerala, a derogatory poster of Lord Krishna was shared on social media by a Muslim-owned restaurant during the Vishu festival, the Malayalam New Year. The accused restaurant was named "Yamama Shawaya Hotel''. Vishu, the Malayalam New Year, is a deeply significant festival for Hindus in Kerala, centred on rituals like the Vishukkani, which symbolises prosperity, purity and divine blessings for the year ahead. Hindu families prepare the Vishukkani the night before by arranging auspicious items, such as rice, gold ornaments, fruits, flowers, coins, a mirror, and sacred texts, in a darkened room lit by a traditional lamp. The first sight upon waking determines one's fortune for the coming year, emphasising renewal, hope, and spiritual purity through this time-honoured tradition. The restaurant operates near Poradam Bridge in Malappuram. On its official social media, it shared a poster wishing Vishu, but in the poster, it showed Lord Krishna eating meat. He was depicted like a child who is seated on the ground in a traditional pose, holding a laddu, with a large plate of cooked chicken placed directly in front of him. The image also featured a peacock feather on his crown and a festive Vishu setting in the background. It included the phrase "Serving the prosperity of taste" and included Lord Krishna with the "kuzhi mandi". The post was shared on 14 April 2026 as part of a Vishu greeting and was deleted on 17 April 2026 after multiple objections were raised, but by then it had already circulated widely on social media platforms. This created outrage among Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders, who submitted a complaint to the Malappuram Superintendent of Police, seeking a detailed investigation into the matter. They pointed to the recurrence of similar visual themes in different parts of the state and called for a comprehensive inquiry into the origin and intent behind such posts. Following complaints, the Mankada police registered a case on charges of promoting communal disharmony under section 192 (maliciously provoking someone with the intent to cause a riot) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Acting on the complaint, the police arrested three Muslim men on 19 April 2026. Those arrested were identified as Mustafa of Pookottoor, Shahul Hameed, and Muhammed Shahil of Eramthode. During the investigation, police also seized two mobile phones and a tablet believed to have been used in the creation and dissemination of the image. Hindu Aikyavedi, a Hindu group, organised a protest in front of the hotel, demanding strict legal action against those responsible. The protest saw participation from local activists and Hindu residents, with slogans raised against the establishment.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category - Attack on Hindu religious representations. Within this, the subcategory 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. The other subcategory selected is- Iconoclastic representation of Hindu Gods/Goddesses. An icon is a symbol of someone or something that is revered, or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal. 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. Any iconoclastic representation of these symbols, images and murtis is an affront to the religious beliefs and faith of the Hindu community itself since the symbols and icons are deeply religious in nature. In this sub-category of crime, we would record hate crimes and iconoclastic representations, in words, art, or any other form of representations of symbols that hold religious significance for the Hindu community. Since these symbols, icons and murtis are central to the Hindu faith, any iconoclastic representation of these symbols is born out of animosity towards the faith itself, manifesting itself through these symbols and therefore, these representations would be considered religiously motivated hated crimes. This case stands as a clear example of a religiously motivated hate crime as the Yamama Shawaya Hotel posted a derogatory image on social media of Lord Krishna eating meat while wishing Vishu greetings. The post showed Lord Krishna, a central deity in Hinduism, revered for his divine purity as depicted in scriptures, depicted in a child-like representation seated on the ground in a traditional pose, holding a laddu with a large plate of cooked chicken placed directly in front of him, turning a sacred figure into profane mockery that wounded the faith of Hindu devotees. Vishu, the Malayalam New Year, holds deep spiritual meaning through rituals like Vishukkani, where Hindu families arrange symbols of prosperity, purity, fruits, gold and divine images to seek blessings, making this timed insult a deliberate attack on Hindu traditions and proving its hateful intent. The act of portraying Lord Krishna eating meat amounts to desecration of sacred Hindu symbols since Hindu deities command utmost reverence with temples and homes barring meat, alcohol and all impurities to uphold ritual sanctity. The poster's blend of this impure element, meat, with Krishna during Vishu greetings profaned Hinduism's holiest icons, stripping away the devotion Hindus offer their gods as living faith embodiments, with the phrase "Serving the prosperity of taste" linking Lord Krishna directly to "kuzhi mandi". This act stabbed at the spiritual heart of Hindu families, confirming it as a religiously motivated hate crime that defiled and desecrated a sacred figure Hindus revere most. This showcases the perpetrator's deep-seated animosity towards Hinduism and the Hindu community, making this a clear instance of a religiously motivated crime. By depicting Krishna consuming meat, the poster committed iconoclasm against Hindu gods whose forms appear in exact detail across scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita and Puranas as perfect divine beings free from human flaws. Straying from this scriptural purity to link Krishna with impure substances like meat outraged devotees' deepest beliefs, causing emotional pain to Hindu communities who cherish such depictions. This intentional distortion marked the incident as a religiously motivated hate crime crafted to provoke outrage through a beloved deity's degradation. The occurrence right during the Vishu festival reveals the perpetrators' vicious plan to shatter the celebration's holiness, a sacred season when Kerala Hindus unite in time-honoured family rites like preparing Vishukkani arrangements, offering temple prayers at dawn, and sharing festive feasts such as Vishu sadhya that evoke hope, renewal and divine grace for the year ahead. Striking at this joyful peak when families gathered in devotion maximised devastation to Hindu sentiments among those honouring the Malayalam New Year with pure hearts and traditional observances. Such precise timing laid bare a calculated scheme to erode a vital cultural and religious rite central to Hindu identity, establishing this as a classic religiously motivated hate crime that pierced Hindu communal bonds and undermined collective faith. The poster's spread through social media guaranteed exposure to millions of Hindus actively sharing festival warmth online through greetings, family photos and sacred updates, a digital space meant purely for joy and celebration, not an assault on beliefs. This broad public launch on social media platforms exposed the creators' deliberate goal to inflict mass hurt on the Hindu majority by flooding their feeds with sacrilege precisely when festive content dominated, going viral and triggering backlash before deletion on 17 April 2026. Leveraging social media's vast scale turned private malice into collective trauma across Hindu communities, rendering this a prime example of a religiously motivated hate crime aimed at wounding Hindu devotees widely and amplifying outrage through viral dissemination. Given that this case ticks every hallmark of a religiously motivated offence, it is being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
