Anti-Hindu hate speech; Youth makes derogatory remarks against Hindu deity on social media
Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh, India 
16 September, 2026
Case Summary
In Auraiya district, Uttar Pradesh, Hindu religious sentiments were insulted after a teenager made indecent and derogatory remarks concerning Lord Ram on the social media platform X. The matter came to the attention of the police after the police media cell forwarded information about an objectionable post to the Ayana police station. Following this, Station House Officer Jaiprakash Pal assigned Sub-Inspector Rajanati to investigate the matter. During the inquiry, police gathered information concerning the social media account and the post and found that the post had been made from an X account belonging to a teenager residing in a village within the Ayana police station area. In her written complaint, SI Rajanati stated that the remarks concerning Lord Ram had hurt religious sentiments and caused anger among people. Based on her complaint, police registered a case against the teenager and initiated legal proceedings. SHO Jaiprakash Pal confirmed that the case had been registered and stated that further legal action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
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. This case was included in the Hinduphobia Tracker because the conduct specifically targeted a central figure of Hindu religious reverence, Lord Ram, through derogatory expression on a public social media platform. The accused’s actions constitute a targeted instance of hate speech directed at the Hindu community because the remarks were aimed at Lord Ram, a revered Hindu deity who holds a central and sacred place in Hindu religious belief, worship and cultural identity. For Hindus, Lord Ram is a deeply revered deity who holds a central place in Hindu faith and devotion. Disrespect towards him therefore directly undermined the reverence accorded to a central figure of Hindu faith. By using insulting and disrespectful language against Lord Ram, the remarks demeaned a deity whom Hindus hold sacred and treated an important object of Hindu worship with contempt. This made the conduct an affront to a fundamental element of Hindu religious belief and to the dignity attached by Hindus to their faith, traditions and sacred figures. The religious nature of the conduct was intrinsic to the target itself. The remarks were not directed at an ordinary individual or a private dispute but concerned a deity who occupies a prominent position in Hindu worship and devotional practice. The use of a public social media platform also meant that the expression was capable of reaching and affecting a wider Hindu audience rather than remaining confined to a private interaction. Since it was done with the intent to mock the Hindu faith, it underscores the deep-rooted hatred towards Hinduism in the mind of the perpetrator. Given that the fundamental motivation behind this incident is contempt for the Hindu religion, this instance has been added to the tracker. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records incidents based on when an event occurred or when the victim's ordeal began. None of the media sources covering this case has specified the exact date the incident occurred. Therefore, for documentation purposes, we have recorded the date based on when the incident was reported in the media, 17 September 2026.
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
