Hindu deities targeted with derogatory social media posts in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh
Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India 
18 September, 2026
Case Summary
Hindu sentiments were insulted after a man posted objectionable comments against Hindu deities on social media. On 18 September 2026, Prashant Sharma, a resident of Khaspur village in the Kharkhoda area of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, filed a complaint with the police against a man over objectionable posts and comments made on Facebook concerning Hindu deities and the Hindu religion. Sharma, son of Munna Lal, informed the police that the person had been continuously posting derogatory material about Hindu gods and religion on the social media platform. The complaint stated that the content had the potential to create hostility and hatred between communities and disturb the local atmosphere. Following the complaint, Kharkhoda police began investigating the Facebook posts and examining the circumstances surrounding their publication while searching for the person responsible. The police stated that further action would be taken after verification of the social media content and other facts related to the complaint.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The primary category selected in this case is: 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 use 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 these terms 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 that 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 Hindus – has also been misinterpreted and distorted to be used 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 qualified for documentation as a religiously motivated hate crime because it involved objectionable and derogatory posts directed specifically at Hindu deities and the Hindu religion. The content was circulated on Facebook, a public social media platform, and concerned figures and beliefs that hold sacred significance within Hinduism. The religious nature of the material therefore distinguished the incident from an ordinary social media dispute or personal disagreement and established a direct connection with Hindu religious identity. Firstly, the targeting of Hindu deities constituted a direct affront to objects of Hindu worship and devotion. Hindu deities occupy a central place in Hindu religious belief, worship and spiritual practice, and derogatory remarks concerning them directly demeaned figures regarded as sacred by Hindus. The objectionable posts therefore did not merely express disagreement with a religious idea or doctrine but directed contempt towards central elements of Hindu faith and devotion. Secondly, the continued circulation of objectionable material concerning Hindu gods and religion on Facebook expanded the conduct beyond a private expression of disagreement. The material was disseminated through a social media platform and had the potential to generate hostility and hatred within the community. Its religious targeting and public circulation created an environment in which Hindu beliefs and sacred figures were subjected to contempt and disrespect, affecting the religious sentiments of Hindu devotees who regard these deities with profound reverence. The conduct therefore crossed the boundary of ordinary criticism by specifically directing objectionable and derogatory material towards Hindu religious figures and beliefs. By targeting sacred elements of Hinduism and circulating the material through social media, the incident constituted hostility directed at Hindu religious identity and sentiments. Accordingly, the case was documented in the Hinduphobia Tracker's Hate Crime Database as an instance of religiously motivated hostility against Hinduism and the Hindu community.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
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