Hindu sentiments insulted; Baba Rampal's followers make derogatory remarks against Hindu deities and 'idol worship'
Barwani, Madhya Pradesh, India 
9 May, 2026
Case Summary
In Barwani, Madhya Pradesh, Hindu religious sentiments were insulted after a programme was organised by followers of Baba Rampal in which objectionable statements were made against Hindu deities and idol worship. The incident occurred in the Krishna State Colony after residents protested against a religious programme organised by followers of Baba Rampal in the C Block area of the colony. According to local residents, a tent had been erected without permission and was being used to promote teachings that spoke against Hindu deities and opposed idol worship, which was an insult to Hindu religious beliefs and practices. Colony resident Trilok Kushwaha stated that the organisers had been gathering people, including children, in groups and conducting campaigns centred on Baba Rampal’s teachings, which created unrest among the local Hindu community. A large number of people, including attendees from nearby rural areas, had gathered at the venue. As opposition from the residents intensified, locals united and shut down the programme. The controversy further escalated after it emerged that the organisers had recently moved into the colony and identified themselves as residents of the Maheshwar area. Residents expressed concern that such activities had been continuing in the locality and stated that they would file a police complaint seeking action against the organisers. The dispute also drew attention to the issue of permissions for the event. While the organisers claimed that they had obtained permission from the SDM office for the programme for a year, reports indicated that such long-term permission for an event was generally not granted. The owner of the venue where the programme was being conducted also stated that the event had been organised without his consent. Police personnel from the Kotwali police station reached the spot and began investigating the matter. Police officials stated that they had neither been informed about the event nor granted any permission for it.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of - Hate speech against Hindus. Within it, the sub-category 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 has been added to the hate crime database because followers of Baba Rampal organised a religious programme in Barwani’s Krishna State Colony, where Hindu deities and idol worship were denigrated, causing distress and outrage among local Hindu residents. The event was being used to promote teachings that discouraged idol worship and spoke against Hindu gods and goddesses, which directly targeted the religious beliefs and practices of the Hindu community. Hindu deities occupy a sacred and deeply revered position within Hinduism, and insulting or ridiculing them constitutes a direct attack on the religious identity, dignity, and sentiments of Hindus. Such acts are not isolated expressions of personal opinion, but manifestations of hostility towards Hindu beliefs and traditions. By conducting a programme centred on criticism of Hindu worship practices and glorification of an alternative religious doctrine, the organisers created an atmosphere of religious antagonism and provocation directed specifically at Hindus. The programme also promoted teachings that prohibited idol worship and discouraged devotion towards Hindu deities while advocating the ideology associated with Baba Rampal. It is important to note that idol worship, or murti puja, forms an integral and ancient aspect of Hindu religious life. For millions of Hindus, deities are worshipped through consecrated idols and images that symbolise divine presence and spiritual connection. Mocking or condemning idol worship is therefore not merely a criticism of a ritual practice, but an attack on one of the foundational modes through which Hindus express devotion and spirituality. Historically, condemnation of idol worship has often been associated with hostility towards Hindu traditions, and in many instances has been used as a justification to portray Hindu beliefs as primitive or illegitimate. In the Barwani case, opposition to idol worship was accompanied by criticism of Hindu deities themselves, thereby deepening the religiously offensive nature of the programme and intensifying the sense of targeted hostility experienced by local Hindus. Although some schools of thought consider Kabirpanth traditions (Baba Rampal was a follower of Kabirpanth) to have historical and cultural links with Hindu society, followers promoting the teachings associated with Baba Rampal often position themselves in opposition to mainstream Hindu worship practices, especially murti puja and devotion towards Hindu deities. When such teachings are propagated through public gatherings that demean Hindu traditions and encourage people to abandon established forms of worship, they constitute a targeted attack on Hindu religious identity. Since the underlying conduct involved denigration of Hindu beliefs, promotion of hostility towards idol worship, and organised dissemination of teachings directed against Hindu practices, this incident has been documented as a religiously motivated hate crime in the Hinduphobia Tracker. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records incidents based on when an event occurred or when the victim's ordeal began. It is important to clarify that none of the media sources covering this case has specified the exact date since when the perpetrators have been making such derogatory statements against Hinduism. Therefore, for documentation purposes, we have recorded the date based on when the incident was reported in the media, 10 March 2026.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
