Muslim men enter Dasna Devi temple pretending to be Hindus, claimed to be part of the Ramlila performance to gain access to the temple
Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India 
2 October, 2024
Case Summary
On October 3, the UP police arrested three Muslim men from the Mathura district for entering the Dasna Devi temple by posing as Hindus. The men used Aadhaar cards with Hindu names and claimed to be part of the Ramlila performance to gain access to the temple, which is led by priest Yati Narsinghanand. Police discovered the impersonation during routine checks at the temple. While speaking about the matter, ACP Lipi Nagayach informed, “During checks, the police on duty at the temple found that the three men were using Aadhaar cards with Hindu names though they are Muslims. They had arrived there to perform at the Ramlila.” “After inquiry, the men were arrested and booked for cheating by impersonation and defiling a place of worship. The group performing the Ramlila at the temple did not know that the men were Muslims,” the police said. The First Information Report read, “The three men had the intention of insulting the Hindu religion, and that is why they were trying to enter the temple.” While speaking about the incident, Yati Narsinghanand reiterated that Muslims are barred from entering the Dasna Devi temple. “The men were there to create some mischief and the police arrested them in a timely manner. The matter should be investigated,” he added.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the hate tracker under the prime category- Attack on Hindu religious symbol. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Breaking rules of place of worship. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. One of these oral traditions or written traditions is the rules of specific temples. Certain temples have rules which are traditional rules, dependent on the worship of the presiding deities. These rules and traditions have been followed for thousands of years whether they find scriptural mention or not. Such traditions are based on the nature and rules of worship of the presiding deity of that temple. Any non-compliance of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the presiding deity but also disregard for the faith of the devotees of that deity/temple and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition and the deity itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific temple and presiding deity, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. The Dasna Devi Temple has a clear policy restricting entry to non-Hindus. This rule is in place to maintain the sanctity of the temple and ensure that visitors share the same reverence for the religious practices observed within. The rule was implemented primarily in response to several incidents of vandalism and attacks on the temple and its devotees. In fact, the Dasna Devi Temple has a large board at its entrance stating that Muslims are not permitted to enter. Despite knowing this fact if a non-Hindu tries to enter the temple, it is nothing but a deliberate attempt to provoke the Hindu worshippers. Furthermore, it is done primarily to target Hindus, making it a case of religious harassment worthy of being listed in the hate tracker.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
