Hindu faith denigrated; Indian politician calls it a “dirty religion” during Eid gathering in Kolkata, West Bengal
Kolkata, West Bengal, India 
30 March, 2025
Case Summary
An anti-Hindu hate speech was made by Indian politician Mamata Banerjee, the former Chief Minister of West Bengal. The accused called Hinduism a "Ganda Dharma", meaning "dirty religion". This incident came to the surface again after a First Information Report was filed against former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the Siliguri Cyber Police Station for referring to Sanatan Dharma as a “dirty religion” during an Eid event held in Kolkata in 2025. In a video that went viral on social media after the First Information Report was filed, Mamata Banerjee, the then Chief Minister, was heard making controversial anti-Hindu remarks. She said, “We do not believe in this dirty religion (Hinduism) that the Jumla Party (Bharatiya Janata Party) deliberately created.” The complaint was filed by lawyer Rinki Chatterjee Singh. She stated that the statement hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. The complaint also stated that many Trinamool Congress leaders had previously made controversial statements about Hinduism. Rinki Chatterjee Singh stated that she had tried to lodge a complaint in 2025 as well, but her plea was not heard, and she had to face harassment. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress (TMC) Darjeeling unit general secretary and lawyer Atri Sharma dismissed the statement, claiming it was false. He said that many within the party disagreed with the comment and that anyone has the right to file a complaint. An FIR was filed against Mamata Banerjee under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The charges include Section 351(1) for criminal intimidation and Section 352 for intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace. Authorities also invoked Section 353(2), which punishes spreading information with the intent to promote hatred or enmity between different religious groups. Police stated that they would take further legal action after investigating the case. In 2025, when these remarks were made by Mamata Banerjee, Bharatiya Janata Party leaders expressed strong outrage over the statement. On 31 March 2025, Amit Malviya condemned the remarks on X, stating: “Is Sanatan Dharma a ‘Ganda Dharm’ for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee? Despite numerous anti-Hindu riots under her watch, she has the audacity to mock Hindus and deride their faith. Once again, she has given Muslims a carte blanche to target Hindus—this time from a religious platform meant to celebrate Eid. Shame on her.” Notably, this was not the first time that Mamata Banerjee had made derogatory anti-Hindu remarks. In another instance in 2025, she targeted the Maha Kumbh Mela, one of the most significant Hindu religious gatherings, and mocked it by referring to it as “Mrityu Kumbh”. In another incident in 2019, Mamata Banerjee wrote a Facebook post declaring that she would continue to oppose “Jai Shri Ram” slogans, calling them a deliberate attempt “to sell hatred ideology”. In another instance, while sharing a stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kolkata’s Victoria Memorial during the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's birth anniversary celebrations, she took offence at the chanting of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”. She criticised the crowd, stating, “Inviting people and then disrespecting them does not behove the government. This is a government programme, not a political party programme.”
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 remarks made by Mamata Banerjee were a clear example of anti-Hindu hate speech because she made derogatory comments against Hinduism by calling it a “dirty religion”. Such an inflammatory statement directly insulted an entire religion and its followers. By targeting Hinduism itself in a demeaning and abusive manner, the speech showcased religious animosity towards the Hindu community and fostered hostility against their religious identity. Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest religions and is deeply revered by Hindus across India and the world. It is not merely a faith but a civilisational and cultural foundation for millions of people who hold its deities, scriptures, traditions, festivals, and spiritual practices sacred. Therefore, making such derogatory remarks against Hinduism and calling it a “dirty religion” showcased deep-seated animosity towards the Hindu community. Such statements were rooted in anti-Hindu hostility and were made in a manner that hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus. Mamata Banerjee also associated Hinduism with the Bharatiya Janata Party by stating that the Bharatiya Janata Party had created Hinduism. This showcased the depth of hostility in her remarks, as she reduced an entire ancient faith followed by millions to a political party. If she had political disagreements with the Bharatiya Janata Party, those disagreements could have remained within the realm of political debate and electoral competition. Instead, she went on a barrage mocking Hinduism itself and calling it a “dirty religion”. This showcased her deep-seated religious animosity towards the Hindu community rather than mere political criticism of the BJP. The remarks were made during Eid celebrations in Kolkata in 2025. The fact that such statements were made during a religious gathering of the Muslim community showcased an attempt at religious polarisation and appeasement politics directed towards her Muslim vote bank while simultaneously mocking the Hindu faith. Considering that she was serving as the Chief Minister of West Bengal when these remarks were made, the impact became even more serious. When a person occupying such a high constitutional office made derogatory remarks against Hinduism during a religious gathering, it emboldened other anti-Hindu perpetrators to normalise similar rhetoric and feel that such hostility towards Hinduism could be expressed without consequences. It also created fear and vulnerability among Hindus, who could feel that their faith could be mocked, denigrated, and that they could be targeted for their religious identity anywhere in the state. Considering Mamata Banerjee’s past instances of remarks targeting Hindu religious expressions, these incidents collectively showcased a consistent pattern of anti-Hindu animosity towards Hinduism and the Hindu community. In 2019, she openly opposed the chanting of “Jai Shri Ram” slogans and described them as an attempt to “sell hatred ideology”, despite the slogan being a sacred religious chant associated with Lord Ram and revered by millions of Hindus. On another occasion, during the Netaji birth anniversary celebrations at Kolkata’s Victoria Memorial, she took offence at the chanting of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”, publicly criticising the crowd for raising Hindu religious slogans. Similarly, her mocking remarks against the Maha Kumbh Mela, one of the holiest and most significant religious gatherings in Hinduism, further showcased hostility towards Hindu religious traditions and practices. By referring to the Maha Kumbh as “Mrityu Kumbh”, she ridiculed a sacred event that holds immense spiritual importance for Hindus. These repeated incidents demonstrated a broader pattern where Hindu symbols, Hindu slogans, and Hindu religious gatherings were repeatedly mocked, demeaned, or portrayed negatively by her, showcasing deep-seated anti-Hindu animosity and hostility towards the religious beliefs and cultural identity of the Hindu community. Given that this case met the parameters of hate speech through derogatory remarks directed at a religious community and its faith, it was being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker. Disclaimer: Hinduphobia Tracker records incident dates based on when the incident or hate crime occurred rather than when it was reported by the media. In this case, media reports did not specify the exact date on which Mamata Banerjee made these remarks against Hinduism. The closest available date linked to the incident was 31 March 2025, when Amit Malviya publicly expressed outrage over the remarks on X immediately after the statements were made. Hence, this date has been selected as the indicative incident date for documentation purposes only. Although this report was written by the Hinduphobia Tracker on 27 May 2026, the fact that Mamata Banerjee was serving as the Chief Minister of West Bengal when these remarks were made has been taken into consideration. Hence, the perpetrator identity has been recorded as “State and Establishment”.
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
State and Establishment
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
female
Sources 
