Case Summary

In Bihar’s Supaul district, a derogatory social media post targeting Hindu goddess Parvati was made by a Muslim man named MJ Javed alias MD Javed. According to media reports, Javed’s post provoked outrage after he insulted Hindu deities by morphing an image of Goddess Parvati, replacing her traditional saree with a bikini. On his social media profile, Javed identified himself as a ‘President’ from Supaul. The derogatory post went viral, resulting in widespread backlash online. Hindu users expressed anger, highlighting the selective silence whenever Hindu deities were insulted. Following the incident, Hindus demanded immediate police action and asserted that such attacks on their faith would not be tolerated. Several users tagged the Bihar Police and the Patna Police on social media, urging strict legal action against Javed. Bihar Police stated that they were tracing the social media link in order to begin proceedings. Social media continued to reflect public anger. One user wrote, “This is disgusting. MD Javed’s post mocking Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati was a slap in the face of Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism). It is time to wake up and respond firmly; arrest this man immediately.”

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Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack on Hindu religious symbols. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Iconoclastic representation of Hindu Gods/Goddesses. An icon is a symbol of someone or something that is revered, or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal. 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 most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Any iconoclastic representation of these symbols, images and murtis is an affront to the religious beliefs and faith of the Hindu community itself since the symbols and icons are deeply religious in nature. In this sub-category of crime, we would record hate crimes and iconoclastic representations, in words, art, or any other form of representations of symbols that hold religious significance for the Hindu community. Since these symbols, icons and murtis are central to the Hindu faith, any iconoclastic representation of these symbols is born out of animosity towards the faith itself, manifesting itself through these symbols and therefore, these representations would be considered religiously motivated hated crimes. This incident constitutes a hate crime against Hindus because the deliberate creation and dissemination of a derogatory morphed image of Goddess Parvati is an attack on the core of Hindu religious identity and sentiments. Goddess Parvati, a principal deity in Hinduism, embodies divine feminine energy, compassion, motherhood, and spiritual strength. She is worshipped as the nurturing and sustaining cosmic force alongside Lord Shiva and holds immense cultural and religious significance across Hindu communities. Replacing her traditional saree with a bikini not only distorts her sacred iconography but constitutes an act of defilement and desecration that intentionally insults Hindu religious beliefs and practices. Such iconoclastic representation is designed to provoke outrage and humiliation among Hindus by disrespecting one of their most revered goddesses. It is a clear expression of religious animosity that targets the Hindu faith directly by mocking and undermining its sacred symbols. This deliberate insult fosters hatred towards the Hindu community, thereby amounting to a religiously motivated hate crime. It forcibly wounds the religious sentiments of millions who see Goddess Parvati as a perfect embodiment of love, strength, and devotion. Iconoclastic portrayals like this are not harmless or isolated acts of expression but carry deep-seated consequences. They encourage and normalise disrespect towards Hindu deities, emboldening others to partake in similar mockery and perpetuate derogation. This cultivates an environment of sustained religious hostility, signalling an entrenched intolerance for Hindu beliefs that threatens social harmony. Recently, social media platforms have become conduits for Hinduphobic content, where offensive memes, images, and comments targeting Hindu gods, goddesses, temples, and scholars proliferate unchecked. Such online abuse generates profound religious animosity against the Hindu community and constitutes hate crimes rooted in prejudice. This case represents a calculated act of iconoclastic representation aimed at hurting Hindu religious sentiments. It forms part of a rising pattern of hate crimes against Hindus and is therefore being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.