Derogatory anti-Hindu literature targeting Hinduism, its deities, and scriptures distributed in Pithora, Chhattisgarh
Pithora, Chhattisgarh, India 
1 August, 2026
Case Summary
Hindu religious sentiments were outraged in Sapos village under Pithora in Chhattisgarh's Mahasamund district after followers of Sant Rampal distributed books containing objectionable remarks about Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism), Hindu deities, Hindu religious leaders, and idol worship. This occurred on 2 August 2026, during the holy month of Shravan, a sacred month in the Hindu calendar. Notably, Sant Rampal is a prominent Kabirpanthi preacher who propagated literature that contained objectionable portrayals of Hindu deities, Sanatan Dharma, and Hindu religious practices. Kabirpanthis constitute a distinct religious tradition and a separate community of followers centred on the teachings of the 15th-century mystic and poet Kabir. The tradition incorporates elements drawn from both Hinduism and Islam, with Kabir's teachings challenging established religious practices and emphasising a 'syncretic spiritual philosophy'. According to reports, in the current case, the followers of Sant Rampal were going door-to-door in the village distributing religious literature. Upon receiving information about the distribution of the books, a large number of activists from the Sarva Hindu Samaj and Bajrang Dal reached the spot and objected to the activity. The distribution of the books was immediately stopped, following which a heated argument and commotion broke out between the two sides. Members of the Hindu organisations stated that the books contained objectionable statements about Sanatan Dharma, Hindu deities, Hindu religious leaders, and idol worship. They further stated that verses from the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita had been presented in a distorted manner, describing it as a direct attack on the faith of followers of Sanatan Dharma. They said that such literature was being distributed to mislead simple villagers and hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus. Gitesh Panda, a representative of the Sarva Hindu Samaj, stated that the books were being distributed in a planned and systematic manner from Sant Rampal's ashram in Memra village across the surrounding rural areas. He said that the literature contained objectionable content targeting Hindu religious beliefs and warned that such propaganda had the potential to disturb the social and religious harmony of the villages. As the situation escalated, police were informed, following which the Dial-112 police team reached the spot and brought the situation under control. The police pacified both sides and prevented any further escalation of the dispute. Subsequently, a delegation of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal, along with local villagers, submitted a written complaint at Pithora Police Station demanding a fair investigation into the matter and strict legal action against those responsible for distributing the books. The Station House Officer of Pithora Police Station stated that after receiving information about the incident, police reached the spot, brought the situation under control, and called both parties to the police station, where their statements were recorded. Police also began examining the contents of the books that had been distributed and initiated a legal investigation into the matter.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The selected primary category in this case is: Hate speech against Hindus, with the subcategory selected as: 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: Subversion of scriptures. Subverting the religious scriptures of Hindus has particularly devastating consequences. Subversion of the scriptures of Hindus is often done to justify or promote hatred, discrimination, or violence against specific individuals or groups of Hindus. Religious scriptures are often nuanced and those who harbour religious animosity towards Hindus often misquote or misrepresent the scripture to legitimise their animosity and hate towards the faith and its adherents. Any such misquoting of scriptures or subversion to justify hate, violence and discrimination against Hindus owing to religious animosity is hate speech and is categorised as such. This case was a clear example of religiously motivated hate speech, as the perpetrators distributed literature containing derogatory and objectionable remarks against Hindu deities, Hinduism, Hindu religious leaders, idol worship, and Hindu religious and cultural traditions more broadly. The material did not merely express theological disagreement or present an alternative religious viewpoint but portrayed central elements of Hindu belief in a disparaging manner. The material targeted aspects that were fundamental to Hindu religious life and belief. Hindu deities are objects of worship and devotion and occupy a central place in Hindu theology, religious practice, festivals, temples, scriptures, and personal worship. Hindu religious leaders and spiritual teachers have historically played an important role in transmitting religious knowledge, preserving traditions, interpreting scriptures, and guiding devotees in matters of dharma. Hindu scriptures, including the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, and the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, form the intellectual, philosophical, and spiritual foundations of Hindu civilisation and continue to guide the beliefs and practices of millions of Hindus. Idol worship, or murti puja, is likewise an important form of Hindu devotion through which devotees worship the divine in a consecrated form, treating the murti as a sacred embodiment through which a devotee establishes a relationship with the divine. Similarly, Hindu customs, rituals, festivals, symbols, and cultural traditions are not merely social practices but are deeply connected with religious belief and the transmission of Hindu identity across generations. Consequently, derogatory portrayals of these elements directly touched upon matters of profound religious significance to Hindus. Writing and distributing literature that disparaged these fundamental aspects of Hinduism therefore demonstrated hostility towards the religious beliefs and identity of Hindus. The material was not confined to criticism of one isolated practice but encompassed Hindu deities, religious leaders, scriptures, idol worship, and Sanatan Dharma more broadly. Such comprehensive denigration had the effect of portraying multiple interconnected aspects of Hindu religious life as objectionable or inferior, thereby attacking the faith at several levels simultaneously. Moreover, the distribution was described as systematic, with the literature being taken from an ashram and circulated across surrounding rural areas through door-to-door distribution. This organised manner of propagation indicated that the material was not simply a private expression of theological disagreement but was being actively disseminated to reach members of the wider public. When derogatory material targeting the sacred beliefs and practices of a particular religious community is deliberately and systematically propagated among that community, it is an attempt to influence perceptions of that faith while causing offence to its followers. The deliberate targeting of core Hindu religious beliefs in such literature therefore made the incident a clear example of religiously driven hate speech and an anti-Hindu offence. The propagation of such material has a wider impact on the religious sentiments and dignity of the Hindu community. Religious beliefs are not limited to abstract theological concepts; they are expressed through worship, sacred texts, deities, rituals, traditions, and the institutions that preserve them. When these elements are repeatedly portrayed as false, objectionable, or worthy of contempt, the effect extends beyond disagreement with a particular doctrine and demeans the religious identity of those who hold those beliefs. Such literature therefore contributes to an environment in which Hindu religious practices and beliefs are treated with contempt, potentially normalising disrespect towards the faith and its followers. The systematic circulation of material containing such portrayals is particularly significant because it seeks to carry those messages beyond a private setting and into the wider community, increasing the potential for religious discord and for Hindu beliefs to be subjected to sustained denigration. The distortion of verses from the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita further intensified the religious nature of the offence. The Bhagavad Gita is one of the most revered Hindu scriptures and occupies a central position in Hindu philosophy, spirituality, and religious thought. Presented as a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, it addresses fundamental questions concerning duty, righteousness, devotion, self-realisation, and the nature of the divine. Its teachings have shaped Hindu philosophical thought for centuries and remain a central source of spiritual guidance for millions of Hindus. Deliberately presenting verses from such a revered scripture in a distorted manner, particularly in a way that portrays its teachings negatively or derogatorily, undermines the meaning and authority attributed to the text by its followers. Such distortion misrepresents the core teachings of the scripture, creates a false impression of what it teaches, and encourages contempt towards a text that is sacred to Hindus. Consequently, the deliberate distortion of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, alongside derogatory portrayals of Hindu deities, religious leaders, idol worship, and Sanatan Dharma, demonstrates a broader pattern of denigrating fundamental components of Hindu religious belief and reinforces the character of the incident as religiously motivated anti-Hindu hate speech. Notably, the Kabir Panth is a syncretic religious tradition whose followers reject idol worship and the worship of Hindu deities, considering such practices contrary to the teachings of Kabir. While every individual has the right to profess and practise their own religion, that freedom does not extend to degrading another community's sacred beliefs or using derogatory remarks and offensive narratives to vilify its objects of worship. In this case, the accused did not merely express theological disagreement with Hindu practices but publicly distributed literature that denigrated important elements of the Hindu faith in its entirety. The ideological rejection of Hindu deity worship, when coupled with ridicule of Hindu deities and scriptures, provided important context demonstrating that the remarks reflected hostility towards Hindu religious beliefs rather than legitimate religious discourse. Although some schools of thought among Hindus consider Kabirpanth to be part of Hinduism, Kabirpanth followers view themselves as distinct from Hindus and reject core elements of mainstream Hindu worship, particularly the veneration of Hindu deities and idols. This distinction becomes significant where criticism moves beyond doctrinal disagreement and takes the form of degrading sacred figures through derogatory assertions. Every religious tradition is free to preach its own beliefs; however, using false and offensive narratives to vilify another religion's gods and scriptures ceases to be an exercise of religious freedom and instead becomes an act of religious hostility directed against that community. In this case, the act was not confined to rejecting idol worship but sought to demean Hinduism itself by attacking the sanctity of its deities and scriptures. Since this case met several parameters of a religiously motivated crime, it is being added to the hate crime database of the tracker.
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