Anti-Hindu hate speech; Hindu deities repeatedly denigrated by local youth on social media in Pathankot, Punjab
Pathankot, Punjab, India 
5 August, 2026
Case Summary
In Pathankot, Punjab, Hindu religious sentiments were targeted by a man named Amritpal Singh, a resident of Sangrur, who made highly offensive and objectionable comments targeting Hindu deities on social media. The matter was taken up by Shiv Sena Lion leaders, including Punjab president Bini Verma, Punjab chairman Karam Puri, district president Dinesh Kumar Tinku, Khali Ji, Sanjeev Ji, Vinay Varma and other members of the organisation, who approached the SSP office at headquarters and submitted a complaint seeking legal action against the perpetrator. The Shiv Sena Lion representatives stated that the accused had been making offensive remarks about Hindu gods and goddesses on social media for some time and that the content was spreading widely, creating anger among Hindu organisations and disturbing the communal atmosphere and peace in Punjab. They further stated that complaints were being submitted against him in different districts and demanded that immediate legal action be taken against him, including arrest. They also stated that Amritpal Singh was targeting Hindu deities for cheap popularity and monetary gain and warned that they would take to the streets if action was not initiated. During the meeting, the police authorities stated that the complaint regarding the derogatory and offensive remarks had been received and that the matter would be taken forward through legal procedure. The authorities said that the concerned officer would be marked and that a copy of the video circulating on social media would be obtained. The police further stated that the video would be examined to extract the required details and that appropriate legal action would be initiated on the basis of the material available. The Shiv Sena Lion delegation also stated that they respected all ten Sikh Gurus and maintained that the remarks made against Hindu deities were intended to disturb Punjab's peace and social harmony.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The primary category for this case is: Hate speech against Hindus. The subcategory for this case 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 from 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 incident constitutes hate speech targeting Hindus because Amritpal Singh directed offensive and derogatory remarks at Hindu gods and goddesses through social media. The target of the remarks was not an ordinary individual or a personal matter but sacred figures central to Hindu religious belief, making the religious identity of Hindus the basis of the attack. Hindu deities are objects of worship and hold profound religious significance for Hindu devotees. Insulting or abusing Hindu deities constitutes hate speech because it deliberately targets figures held sacred by Hindus with the apparent intention of ridiculing or denigrating their faith. Hindu gods and goddesses are worshipped and represent the spiritual foundation of one of the world's oldest living religions. By making objectionable remarks against them on a public social media platform, the accused targeted symbols that are deeply revered by millions of Hindus, thereby causing offence to the religious sentiments of the wider Hindu community. The dissemination of such content through social media also extends the insult beyond a private interaction, making the derogatory material accessible to a wider audience and subjecting Hindu devotees to direct religious denigration. Such conduct contributes to hostility towards Hindus by portraying their sacred beliefs and objects of worship as subjects of ridicule. The incident is therefore a direct attack on Hindu religious belief and the dignity of Hindus as a religious community, falling within the category of anti-Hindu religious denigration and mocking of faith. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records incident dates based on the date on which a crime occurs, rather than the date on which the media report it. However, in this case, the exact date on which Amritpal Singh made and uploaded the objectionable remarks targeting Hindu deities on social media is not available from the sources reviewed. Accordingly, the Hinduphobia Tracker has recorded 6 August 2026 as the incident date, as this was the date on which the incident was documented in mainstream media reports.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
