Attack on Hindu sentiments: Muslim man makes derogatory comments about Hindu faith, revered epics and leaders on social media
Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India 
26 April, 2026
Case Summary
In the Katghar police station in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, Hindu sentiments were outraged as a Muslim man made derogatory remarks on social media against Hinduism, its revered epics, and prominent Hindu religious and political leaders. According to media reports, the Katghar police arrested a Muslim man, identified as Kaushar Hayat, on 27 April 2026, in Brass Nagari, Moradabad. As per the police, the accused had used abusive language against the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, in a video. He had also made objectionable remarks about Hinduism and the Mahabharata, a revered Hindu epic, which were likely to hurt religious sentiments and disturb public peace. In this regard, a case was registered at the Katghar police station under FIR No. 222/2026 under sections 196(1)(a), 299, 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). At the time of writing this report, the police were taking further necessary legal action in this matter.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The primary category selected in this case 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. The other subcategory selected is- Mocking/denigrating Hindu leaders. 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. Religious leaders are often seen as representatives of the community, especially, the community’s religious faith and beliefs. Mocking or denigrating a religious leader specifically owing to his religious identity and/or the religious rituals he observes can be considered hate speech because the motivating factor of the speech is animosity and/or dislike for what he represents – the religious beliefs and faith of the community. It is important to note that mere insulting words against an individual do not constitute hate speech. It is entirely possible that insulting words are used for an individual, however, the specific speech is not the result of religious hate and/or animosity towards the professed faith of the religious leader, but the individual himself. For the speech to be considered hate speech, the speech itself or the motivating factor behind the speech has to be religious in nature. Such speech which denigrates Hindu religious leaders specifically owing to animosity towards the faith they profess and the community faith they represent will be treated as hate speech under this category. This case is a clear example of a religiously motivated hate crime, as the Muslim perpetrator made derogatory remarks against Hinduism, the Mahabharata, a revered Hindu epic, as well as Hindu religious leaders like Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, and political leaders like Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India. Firstly, the act of the perpetrator making derogatory remarks against Hinduism itself showcases the deep-seated animosity towards the Hindu faith and the community that the perpetrator held. Hinduism is a faith revered by millions worldwide, embodying profound philosophical teachings, ancient rituals, and a way of life that guides devotees through cycles of dharma, karma, and moksha; for its followers, it represents the ultimate truth, a divine tapestry woven from the Vedas, Upanishads, and timeless traditions that foster inner peace and communal harmony. Therefore, the act of abusing Hinduism that the Muslim perpetrator committed deeply hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus and amounts to a crime motivated by deep-seated religious animosity towards the Hindu faith and the Hindu community, which routinely faces such motivated hate speech. The accused also denigrated the Mahabharata, one of Hinduism's most sacred epics that narrates the eternal struggle between good and evil through the Kurukshetra war, imparting moral lessons on righteousness, duty, and the complexities of human nature via characters like the Pandavas, Krishna, and Arjuna, whose wisdom in the Bhagavad Gita continues to inspire spiritual growth and ethical living for generations of devotees. Therefore, abusing the Mahabharata amounts to hurting Hindu religious sensibilities by mocking a cornerstone of their cultural and spiritual heritage, directly fuelling religiously motivated hate speech designed to provoke Hindu sentiments and mock Hindu beliefs. The accused also denigrated Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, considering his previous anti-Hindu remarks abusing Hinduism and the Mahabharata, it is clear that he holds anti-Hindu hatred. Hence, in this case, the abuse of Yogi Adityanath also showcases that he was targeted for his Hindu identity rather than for being a political leader. Yogi Adityanath is a saffron-clad monk, openly representing and demonstrating Hindu religious expression as the head of the Gorakhnath Math, a revered monastery of the Shaiva Nath tradition of Hinduism. Therefore, making derogatory remarks against Yogi Adityanath in this context was not to target him for his political position but rather for his religious identity; abusing religious leaders in this manner amounts to deep-seated religious animosity towards the Hindu community. In a similar way, abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi here was not due to his political identity but because of his Hindu identity. It's important to mention here that anti-Hindu elements within the Muslim community view Narendra Modi as a Hindu leader who fights for Hindu rights and brings pro-Hindu policies. Therefore, abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi was done to attack a Hindu political leader perceived as a defender of Hindu interests, as viewed by these Muslim extremists. Hence, in this case, the Muslim perpetrator's abuse of PM Narendra Modi stemmed from religious animosity rather than legitimate political criticism. The fact that such denigrating remarks against Hinduism, the Mahabharata, as well as Hindu political and religious leaders, were made on social media showcases that it was done to cause maximum outrage and hurt to Hindu sentiments, thereby making it a clear case of online Hinduphobia with the intent to amplify division across a vast audience. Given that this case meets several parameters of an anti-Hindu hate speech, it is added to Hinduphobia Tracker's hate crime database. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records incident dates based on when the crime occurs, rather than when the media reports it. In this case, media reports do not specify the exact date when Kaushar Hayat made the derogatory remarks; they only mention his arrest on 27 April 2026. Therefore, 27 April 2026 is selected as the indicative incident date. This is recorded for documentation purposes only.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
