Case Summary

In Kolkata, West Bengal, Bengali actress Sohini Guha Roy faced a barrage of obscene and sexually explicit comments from Muslim social media users in Bangladesh after she shared a photograph of herself standing before the idol of Maa Durga during Durga Puja. On 12 October 2026, Sohini posted the photograph on her official Facebook account with the Bengali caption “Maa eshe gechhe,” meaning “Mother has come.” Her comment section was soon filled with vulgar sexual remarks, including comments on her breasts and other parts of her body, obscene insinuations, degrading references to her character, dignity and modesty, and derogatory remarks targeting Maa Durga, Hinduism and Durga Puja. The abuse targeted both the actress personally and the Hindu religious beliefs associated with her public expression of devotion. The post attracted more than 34,500 comments. According to a report by Hindu Voice, Sohini Guha Roy has about 1.7 million Facebook followers. Of the 34,500 comments beneath the photograph, at least 9,000 targeted Hinduism, Maa Durga, Durga Puja, and Sohini’s character, dignity, and modesty. According to Hindu Voice, more than 99 per cent of these comments were by Muslim users from Bangladesh. It further stated that over 70 per cent of comments came from college students, young employees, and high-school students. The comments included sexually explicit insults against Sohini, personal degradation and attacks on Hindu religious beliefs and devotion. The report also identified individual commenters and their stated or reported links to political groups, organisations and institutions in Bangladesh. These included Muhammad Mohin Uddin Sopon, reportedly associated with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami; Shabmim Aftina, identified as an employee of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society; Mohammad Sohan, associated with the International American Academy; Sagor Ahmed Sisir, who stated that he had worked at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant; and Muhammad Iqbal Hossain, who stated that he had worked at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research. Hindu Voice’s analysis highlighted these individuals and their reported affiliations. It also drew attention to comments posted by Bangladeshi women that targeted Hinduism, Maa Durga, and Sohini’s character and expression of devotion. On 14 October 2026, Sohini Guha Roy filed a complaint with the Cyber Cell unit of Kolkata Police, seeking assistance in identifying those responsible for the abusive comments and pursuing legal action against them. She submitted screenshots, profile details and links to the accounts involved. Her complaint followed the large volume of obscene and derogatory comments directed at her and the Hindu religious beliefs associated with her photograph. The incident involved both sexualised online harassment of a Hindu woman and the denigration of Maa Durga, a revered deity worshipped during Durga Puja. Hindu Voice published its coverage of the incident in an article updated on 18 October 2026.

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Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case is being added to the tracker under the primary category: 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 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 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 the 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 case was added to the hate crime database because the abuse involved a twofold targeting: Maa Durga, a revered Hindu deity, was denigrated, while Sohini Guha Roy was subjected to obscene sexual harassment and personal degradation for publicly expressing her devotion to the Goddess. The attack thus targeted both the Hindu faith she represented and the Hindu woman who openly celebrated it. Maa Durga represents divine feminine power, protection and the triumph of good over evil. Her worship holds deep spiritual significance for Hindus, particularly during Durga Puja, when devotees honour the Divine Mother through prayers, rituals and celebrations. Disrespect directed at a revered deity therefore affects more than the image of a religious figure; it expresses contempt for the faith, traditions and spiritual values that the deity represents. The use of obscene and degrading language against a Hindu deity is significant because it turns a sacred object of devotion into a target of humiliation. Hindu religious beliefs and practices are integral to devotees' identity, and they approach sacred figures with reverence and devotion. Deliberately using vulgarity to demean these figures communicates disregard for the religious significance they hold. Such conduct differs from ordinary criticism of religious ideas because it aims to degrade what believers consider sacred rather than engage meaningfully with their beliefs. The sexualised humiliation of a woman expressing her religious devotion adds another dimension to this form of hostility. Religious expression should not become a pretext for degrading a woman's dignity or subjecting her to obscene treatment. When sexualised abuse is intertwined with contempt for the faith she expresses, the hostility extends beyond personal harassment and becomes connected to the denigration of religious identity. This intersection makes it important to recognise both the degrading treatment of women and the contempt directed towards the religious beliefs associated with their expression of faith. This was not a random or misguided act, but a calculated and ideologically rooted expression of religious hatred. In Islamic theology, idol worship, referred to as Shirk, is regarded as the gravest sin. The Qur'an strictly condemns it, and Islamic teachings emphasise the complete rejection of any practice associated with idol worship. Muslims are taught from a young age that idolatry is an unforgivable sin. While this belief is central to Islamic faith, it has also led, historically and in contemporary times, to intolerance and hostility towards idol-worshipping religions, especially Hinduism. When individuals publicly mock Hindu deities or those who venerate them, it reflects more than personal disrespect. It is often the manifestation of deep-seated theological contempt against Hindu practices, stemming from the Islamic doctrinal view that idol worship is impure and offensive. Such actions target the identity, beliefs, and dignity of Hindus. Mockery of deities is a deliberate attack on the religious sentiments of Hindus that stems from the intrinsic animosity against the religion. This is why this incident warrants inclusion in the Hinduphobia Tracker.