Hindu faith targeted through objectionable remarks against Lord Ram and Hindu deities on social media
Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, India 
20 July, 2026
Case Summary
A youth from Bengali Patti in Kushinagar district, Uttar Pradesh, posted a social media video containing objectionable remarks against Lord Shri Ram and other Hindu deities. Members of the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal and the International Hindu Parishad stated that the remarks had hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus and had the potential to disturb communal harmony in the area. They subsequently submitted a complaint to Vishunpura Police, seeking strict action against the youth. The complaint was signed by several office-bearers of both organisations. Vishunpura Station House Officer Shani Kumar Jawla stated that the police had received the complaint, an investigation was underway, and action would be taken in accordance with the law against those found responsible.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case is being added to the tracker under the primary category- 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 represents a clear instance of hate speech targeting the Hindu faith through objectionable remarks directed at Lord Shri Ram and other Hindu deities. In Hinduism, deities are not merely symbolic figures but are revered as sacred manifestations of the divine and occupy a central place in the religious beliefs, worship, and cultural identity of millions of Hindus. Publicly insulting or ridiculing such revered figures extends beyond the expression of a personal opinion and constitutes an attack on beliefs that are fundamental to the religious identity of the Hindu community. Such speech is intended to demean the faith itself by targeting those whom Hindus hold sacred. The reported remarks were directed not at an individual but at revered religious figures worshipped across different Hindu traditions. Lord Shri Ram, in particular, is regarded as an embodiment of righteousness, justice, and dharma, and is among the most widely venerated deities in Hinduism. Derogatory comments directed at such figures undermine the sanctity attached to them by devotees and amount to contempt for the religious beliefs of the community that worships them. When sacred figures become the object of ridicule or abuse, the attack is inherently directed at the faith and its followers rather than at any one person. Another important aspect of this case is that the remarks were disseminated through social media, enabling the offensive content to reach a much wider audience than a private conversation. The use of a public platform amplifies the potential impact of such speech, normalises disrespect towards Hindu religious beliefs, and increases the likelihood of encouraging similar expressions targeting Hindu faith and its sacred symbols. Public dissemination also magnifies the harm caused by such remarks by exposing a broader section of the Hindu community to content that demeans the objects of their worship. Religious coexistence in a plural society depends upon mutual respect for the beliefs, sacred figures, and places of worship of all communities. Speech that deliberately targets revered Hindu deities erodes this principle by portraying deities' worship as legitimate subjects of insult and ridicule. Such conduct fosters an environment of hostility towards the Hindu faith and weakens the mutual respect necessary for maintaining communal harmony and safeguarding the dignity of religious communities. Given that this case involves objectionable remarks targeting Lord Shri Ram and other revered Hindu deities, thereby denigrating the Hindu faith and its sacred beliefs, and is indicative of an underlying prejudice against Hinduism, it is being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker. Disclaimer: The exact date on which the objectionable remarks against Lord Shri Ram and other Hindu deities were made, or the social media video was posted, was not specified in the available sources. The tracker records incident dates based on when the offence occurred, rather than when it was reported or published; however, in its absence, the reporting date is used. Accordingly, since the exact incident date of the incident could not be ascertained, 20th July 2026, the date of publication of the report, has been used as the indicative incident date for documentation purposes only.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
