Minor youths disrespect Lord Shiva with obscene gestures in Rayagada, Odisha
Rayagada, Odisha, India 
4 December, 2025
Case Summary
In Rayagada, Odisha, Hindu religious sentiments were insulted after some youths posted a video online with obscene gestures aimed at the statue of Lord Shiva. As soon as the video went viral, people expressed strong outrage and demanded that the administration immediately identify the youths responsible for the indecent behaviour and take strict action against them. Given the seriousness of the matter, the official handle of SP Rayagada (@sprayagada) confirmed that a case had been registered at the Rayagada Police Station. Two accused were apprehended and produced before the Juvenile Justice Board Court, Rayagada.
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 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. Lord Shiva is one of the principal deities in Hinduism, revered as a key figure in the divine trinity, along with Brahma, the creator, and Vishnu, the preserver. Known as the destroyer and transformer, Shiva holds a central place in Hindu worship and spiritual symbolism. Denigrating Lord Shiva with obscene gestures is not merely offensive but is seen as an affront to the Hindu faith, as it disrespects a deity deeply revered across Hindu communities. Acts or statements that mock or insult Lord Shiva are, therefore, perceived as attacks on the broader Hindu religion and its core beliefs. At the time of writing this report, the perpetrator's identity was not verified by any reliable source. However, the act itself was carried out with deliberate hatred and contempt towards Hinduism and its revered deities. As the accused recorded the act and posted it online, this should be considered as a conscious and deliberate effort to insult the faith of Hindus. Given that this incident satisfies all the criteria of a religiously motivated offence, the act amounts to hatred against Hindus. Henceforth, it is being formally classified and recorded in the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker. 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 video was uploaded. Therefore, for documentation purposes, we have recorded the date based on when the incident was reported on social media: 5th December 2025.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
