Sacred Hindu Kanwar Yatra denigrated by Muslim men, devotees assaulted for objecting

Case ID : 30a9d58 | Location : Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India | Date of Incident : Mon, 10 August, 2026

Case ID : 30a9d58

Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

10 August, 2026

Sacred Hindu Kanwar Yatra denigrated by Muslim men, devotees assaulted for objecting

Attack not resulting in death

Attack against Hindu devotees

Hate speech against Hindus

Anti-Hindu slurs, mocking faith

Case Summary

Hindu Kanwar pilgrims were attacked after a dispute arose over derogatory and insulting remarks made about the sacred Kanwar Yatra by some Muslim men. The Hindu pilgrims were subjected to abuse, physical assault, and one Kanwariya's clothes were torn during the incident. According to the complaint, the sequence of events began on 8th August 2026, when a group of Kanwariyas from Bhambhi village left for Gola carrying Kanwar. Their Kanwar Yatra was completed on 9th August 2026, after which a community bhandara was organised at the village Shiv temple on 10th August 2026. On 11th August 2026, some Muslim men made derogatory remarks about the Kanwar pilgrims, and later that evening the dispute escalated into a confrontation between both groups, resulting in abuse, assault, and physical violence against Kanwar pilgrims. Complainant Sarvesh Singh said that he was attacked by a group of Muslim people. He further stated that Arun Singh, Surendra Singh, and Ashish Singh were assaulted when they intervened, and one person’s clothes were torn during the altercation. The incident was reported on 11th August 2026, in the evening, in Bhambhi village under the Banda area of Shahjahanpur district, Uttar Pradesh. Police officials, including Circle Officer Praveen Malik and Inspector Brajesh Singh, reached the spot after receiving information about the clash. Shahjahanpur Superintendent of Police Saurabh Dixit stated that a fight occurred between two groups near a shop in the village. Some individuals were taken into custody for questioning, and the police began an investigation. The Hinduphobia Tracker contacted Banda Police Station, Shahjahanpur, to seek further details about the incident. A police official at Banda Police Station claimed that the victims were locals and not Kanwar pilgrims, and declined to provide any additional information.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

The primary category selected in this case is: Attack not resulting in death. The subcategory selected is: Attack against Hindu devotees Hindu devotees are a few of the easiest targets of religiously motivated hate crimes because during the festival/procession/puja etc, for non-Hindus it is easy to profile their victims on the basis of religion. Hindu devotees come under attack on several occasions by individual non-Hindus or mobs of non-Hindus owing to their animosity against Hinduism, its symbols and tradition/practices. There are several instances of Hindu devotees being attacked while they worship in temples or temporary religious structures, during religious processions, doing bhajan/kirtan/puja in their own homes, in the residential society etc. These attacks are perpetrated by non-Hindus primarily because of their animosity towards Hindus and their faith. In some cases, the trigger for the violence may be non-religious, however, there are two elements that make these hate crimes. First, the Hindus who come under attack are attacked violently while indulging in religious activity. Whether they are in a place of worship or not is immaterial to the crime. When individuals are attacked while indulging in religious practices, the attack in itself is a hindrance to their freedom to practice religion and therefore constitutes a hate crime. Secondly, religious supremacist doctrines and ideologies deem religious practices of Hindus to be offensive ab initio since they are considered “sinful” by these ideologies, worthy to be annihilated by force or coercion. Driven by these religious supremacist ideologies and doctrines, the attacks against Hindu devotees stem from intrinsic animosity towards Hinduism. In some cases, the trigger for the violence may be non-religious, however, it develops into a religiously motivated crime during the course of the violence. Since these attacks stem from animosity towards Hindus and Hinduism, they are considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. The other category selected is- Hate speech against Hindus, and within this, 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 incident exhibits multiple religious markers that make it worthy of being included in the Hinduphobia Tracker. Firstly, the perpetrators mocked and abused a sacred Hindu religious observance, and secondly, they assaulted the devotees participating in it. The Kanwar Yatra is one of Hinduism's most revered pilgrimages, undertaken by devotees of Lord Shiva as an act of penance, devotion, and spiritual commitment. Carrying the sacred Gangajal over long distances and offering it at Shiva temples is itself an act of worship. Associated religious activities, including temple visits, bhajans, and community bhandaras, form an integral part of the pilgrimage and hold deep religious significance for millions of Hindus. By mocking and denigrating this sacred religious observance, the perpetrators displayed open contempt for a practice that lies at the heart of Hindu devotional life. The ridicule was not directed at an ordinary public gathering but at a religious act that devotees undertake out of deep faith and reverence. Such conduct reflects disdain for Hindu beliefs and a willingness to insult practices that Hindus hold sacred. Equally significant is the fact that when the devotees objected to the insult, they were met with violence. The assault was not preceded by any provocation other than the devotees' decision to defend the dignity of their faith. This sequence of events demonstrates a mindset in which insulting Hindu religious practices was considered acceptable, while any resistance from Hindu devotees was met with force. Such conduct reflects not only hostility towards Hinduism but also an attempt to assert dominance over those seeking to practise and defend their religion freely. It is this combination of denigrating a sacred Hindu observance and attacking devotees for objecting that gives the incident its distinctly anti-Hindu character and warrants its inclusion in the Hinduphobia Tracker.