Hindu deities abused and their images morphed in obscene manner by Muslim man in Uttar Pradesh
Budaun, Uttar Pradesh, India 
25 November, 2025
Case Summary
In Badaun, Uttar Pradesh, Hindu religious sentiments were insulted after a Muslim youth named Ishaq Mohammad repeatedly posted vulgar, abusive and obscene content targeting Hindu deities and Hindus on Facebook and other social media platforms. According to reports, Ishaq Mohammad alias Nanhe, a resident of Ward No. 5, New Colony, Shekhupur, bought an Android phone and began making and posting reels on social media. To gain fame, he edited photos of Hindu gods and goddesses in an obscene manner and recorded a reel based on those images on 26th November 2025. He also made derogatory and abusive comments against Hindu deities to provoke the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. After the post went viral, it provoked outrage among local Hindu organisations, who immediately approached the Civil Lines police station and filed a complaint, demanding strict action under relevant sections for hurting religious sentiments and disturbing communal harmony. Police registered an FIR under sections 353/299 of the BNS and 67 of the IT Act and began an investigation. As the matter gained traction, the authorities treated the case as highly sensitive and arrested Ishaq without delay. After his arrest, he was taken for a medical examination and produced before the court, which sent him to jail. Hindu organisations stated that Ishaq had a pattern of posting derogatory content against Hindu deities and poisoning the atmosphere by repeatedly provoking religious sentiments. They demanded the harshest possible action to prevent similar conduct by others.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of: Hate speech against Hindus. Within it, the sub-category 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. The second primary category selected here is - Attack on Hindu religious representations. Within it, the sub-category 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 case is a clear instance of anti-Hindu hate speech. The accused repeatedly made derogatory remarks against Hindu gods and goddesses. These comments were deeply derogatory in nature and constituted hate speech, as they insulted and denigrated deities central to the Hindu faith. Hindu deities occupy an immensely important and sacred position in Hinduism and are deeply revered by the Hindu community. Targeting them in a derogatory and abusive manner is not merely offensive; it reflects direct religious animosity towards Hinduism and its followers. By publicly maligning revered Hindu deities, the accused not only disrespected the faith but also incited hostility, making this a clear example of a religiously motivated crime. Such actions are consistent with hate speech, as they were designed to provoke hostility, offend religious sentiments, and spread contempt for Hinduism and its adherents Furthermore, the accused also created and morphed images of Hindu deities in an obscene manner. Such iconoclastic representations constitute direct disrespect towards the sacred position these deities hold in Hinduism. Iconoclasm, or the deliberate mutilation or distortion of religious images, is widely condemned as it attacks the religious and cultural heritage of Hindus. Any defamatory or morphing depiction of Hindu gods and goddesses through such media amounts unequivocally to religiously motivated hate crimes, aiming to demean and mock the Hindu faith itself. In recent times, social media has increasingly become a platform for anti-Hindu hate, with derogatory memes, videos, and messages targeting Hindu religious symbols, practices, and deities. Such content is recognised as part of a broader pattern of Hinduphobia and religious hate crimes online. Given the fact that this case meets multiple parameters of a religiously motivated hate crime, it is being recorded in the Hate Crime Database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
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