Hindu faith denigrated: Revered Hindu deity Goddess Durga subjected to vile sacrilege in Siddharthnagar, Uttar Pradesh
Siddharthnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India 
3 November, 2026
Case Summary
In Dubauliya village in Siddharthnagar district, Uttar Pradesh, the revered Hindu deity Goddess Durga and the Hindu religion were subjected to derogatory and deeply offensive remarks by a man. A video surfaced on social media in which he used objectionable language against Goddess Durga and Hindu religious beliefs, continuing to denigrate the faith despite being cautioned against making such remarks. The video showed the man, Satish, alone, with no one visible in front of him, while two individuals could be heard speaking from behind the camera, cautioning him against making derogatory remarks about religion and Hindu deities. Despite repeated warnings and attempts to dissuade him, he continued to use offensive language against Goddess Durga and Hinduism. After the video circulated, members of Hindu organisations demanded action against Satish. Individuals associated with these organisations also posted and tweeted on their social media accounts, calling for action against him. Chilhiya Police Station House Officer Pawan Maurya confirmed he was aware of the video and said Satish had once again apologised and acknowledged his mistake. He added that the police would review the video and take appropriate action upon receiving a formal complaint.
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 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 case qualifies as a religiously motivated hate crime because the objectionable remarks specifically targeted Goddess Durga, a revered Hindu deity and a central figure of Hindu worship. The remarks were directed at a sacred Hindu deity and religious beliefs rather than at an individual on account of a personal dispute, making the religious identity of the targets central to the offence. Goddess Durga occupies a central place in Hindu religious belief and is worshipped by millions of Hindus through prayers, rituals, festivals, temple worship and other devotional practices. As a revered deity, references to Goddess Durga carry explicit religious significance. Offensive remarks directed at Goddess Durga therefore constituted more than general abusive speech, as they targeted a sacred figure deeply associated with Hindu faith and worship. By making Goddess Durga the subject of objectionable remarks in the video, the individual directed the offensive expression towards an integral element of Hindu religious belief rather than towards a private individual. Insulting or ridiculing a revered deity attacks a core component of the religious beliefs held by Hindus and can offend the religious sentiments associated with that deity. The fact that the expression was made publicly and recorded in a video further extended the potential impact beyond an individual interaction to members of the wider Hindu community who encountered the content. This deliberate targeting of revered religious icons firmly establishes this act as a religiously motivated hate crime; therefore, it is being categorised under the hate crime database. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records incidents based on when an event occurred or when the victim's ordeal began. It is important to clarify that none of the media sources covering this case has specified the exact date when the incident occurred. Therefore, for documentation purposes, we have recorded the date based on when the incident was reported in the media, that is 3 November 2026.
Case Status
Complaint not filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
