Hindu temple attacked and stone-pelted during Ganesh festival in Kanpur; devotees assaulted for opposing
Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India 
15 September, 2026
Case Summary
In the Udetpur village of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, a Hindu temple was attacked and pelted with stones during the Ganesh festival by unknown miscreants. The incident took place on 16 September 2026 at around 11 pm after the evening aarti and puja, while Hindu devotees, including women, were performing bhajans and kirtans, and several villagers were present. During this time, more than half a dozen youths arrived at a village temple in an auto-rickshaw and pelted stones at the temple premises. Subsequently, some devotees rushed towards the temple gate after hearing the stone-pelting, the attackers assaulted them with sticks and rods, causing panic among those gathered. As more villagers assembled at the spot, the attackers fled. Following the incident, villagers informed the police and submitted a complaint at Chaubepur police station. They also showed the police a video recording of the stone-pelting and violence. Five of the attackers were identified by villagers as Kuldeep Yadav, Tillu, Ramji Yadav, Salman and Ramji, all residents of Ghagpur village. Police began searching for the accused on the basis of the video and the names provided by the villagers. Chaubepur station in-charge Durgesh Mishra stated that a case would be registered on the basis of the complaint and legal action would be taken after investigation.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The primary category selected in this case is: Attack on Hindu religious representations. The subcategory selected is: Desecration of Hindu religious symbols. Icons and symbols, or religious representations of a spiritual ideal, are widely revered in Hinduism. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of great significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are performed. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika, for example. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations is driven by animosity towards the faith itself, which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. The other sub-category selected here is - Attack on temples. In Hinduism, a temple is the abode of the Deity. The Deity in the Temple is consecrated, thereby, making it a real, breathing entity. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the temple premises itself are sacred to Hindus since Hindus hold the faith that the entire Temple space is an amalgamation of the divine energy of the deity. Given the central significance of Temples in Hindu Dharma, any attack against a Hindu Temple or its peripheral premises is an attack on the faith itself and is born out of animosity towards the faith, of which, the Temple is a central tenet. Any manner of attack against a Temple and/or its premises would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. The other primary category selected here is - Attack not resulting in death. Within it, the sub-category selected here is - Attacked for opposing radicals or trying to save victim. In several cases, Hindus are attacked for opposing religiously motivated crimes being committed against a fellow Hindu or simply for voicing an opinion opposing radical elements, who either have in the past or continue to persecute Hindus. In such cases, the initial attack against the victim, against which the Hindu was trying to defend the victim, would also need to be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime. Since the initial crime itself was religiously motivated and the subsequent crime of attempting to save the victim or speaking against the radical elements ends up inviting a violent attack, it would also be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. The other sub-category selected here 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. This case was a clear example of a religiously driven hate crime against Hindus because the violence was directed at a site of Hindu worship during a Hindu religious observance. The significance of the conduct arose from what was targeted and the circumstances in which it was targeted. The temple was not merely a private or residential property; it was a recognised religious space where Hindus had gathered for the Ganesh festival. Directing stone-pelting towards such a place of worship during an active religious celebration therefore constituted an attack on a space that had specific religious significance for the Hindu community. The religious character of the target was particularly important. The temple was hosting the worship of Lord Ganesha, and the gathering involved aarti, puja, bhajans and kirtans. These were identifiable acts of Hindu religious observance rather than ordinary social activity. Consequently, the perpetrators' conduct interfered with an ongoing expression of Hindu faith. An attack on a religious gathering in these circumstances carries a different significance from an unrelated act of violence occurring in the same village because it intrudes upon the community's ability to practise and celebrate its religion in a designated sacred space. The nature of the conduct also demonstrated more than incidental disruption. Stone-pelting directed towards a temple is inherently capable of desecrating or damaging a place regarded as sacred and of intimidating devotees gathered there. The fact that the perpetrators approached the temple and directed the violence towards its premises while religious activities were taking place made the religious setting integral to understanding the incident. The subsequent assault on villagers who came towards the temple further extended the intimidation from the religious property to the people participating in the religious gathering. This transformed the incident from a mere property-related disturbance into violence that disrupted a Hindu religious assembly and created fear among those exercising their religious practices. The timing was another significant factor in establishing the religious dimension. The incident occurred during the Ganesh festival, when the community had specifically gathered to worship Lord Ganesha. The perpetrators therefore targeted a Hindu place of worship at the precise time when it was being used for a Hindu religious celebration. This temporal connection is relevant because the conduct did not occur in an ordinary context detached from religious activity. Instead, the attack intruded upon a collective Hindu observance and disturbed devotees in the course of practising their faith. The impact of such conduct also extended beyond the immediate physical damage or confrontation. Religious places provide communities with a sense of sanctity and security in the practice of their faith. Violence directed at such a place during worship can create fear that religious observances and sacred spaces are vulnerable to attack. For the devotees present, the disruption of the Ganesh festival and the accompanying violence undermined the safety and sanctity of an occasion intended for religious worship and communal participation. The incident consequently affected not only the individuals who were confronted but the wider Hindu community using the temple as a place of worship. The deliberate targeting of a Hindu temple during a Ganesh festival therefore amounted to an attack on a sacred space associated with Hindu religious identity and worship. The timing, location and nature of the conduct demonstrated hostility towards a Hindu religious gathering and interfered with the community's observance of its faith. The incident was therefore added to the Hinduphobia Tracker as a religiously driven hate crime.
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
