Hindu faith mocked and targeted as Indian politician makes offensive remark against Lord Ram
West Bengal, India 
17 December, 2025
Case Summary
In West Bengal, a derogatory remark mocking Lord Ram was made by TMC (Trinamool Congress) leader MLA Madan Mitra. The accused mocked Lord Ram by calling him a Muslim. According to media reports, a clip of the accused's speech circulated on the internet, in which Mitra stated that Lord Ram was a Muslim and not a Hindu. This sparked outrage from Hindus on social media and angered the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party). The Bengal BJP shared a video of a speech by Madan Mitra, MLA from Kamarhati in North 24 Parganas district, on its X handle on 18th December 2025, labelling it an insult to Hindu sentiments. In the video, Mitra made controversial remarks about Lord Ram at a public meeting. The West Bengal BJP X handle wrote, " TMC leaders cannot help but insult Hindu Gods and Hindu beliefs it seems. Now, TMC MLA Madan Mitra says Lord Ram was a Muslim, Not Hindu. This continuous abuse of our culture and history is not a slip of tongue! " The BJP challenged the TMC to take action against Mitra. Meanwhile, the ruling TMC distanced itself from Mitra's remarks. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, "We all know about the Ramayana and Ayodhya, and we do not want to comment on what Madan Mitra said." Meanwhile, MLA Mitra did not comment on the matter. However, sources close to him claimed that the video was false, fabricated, and AI-generated. Reacting strongly, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari condemned Mitra’s remarks, saying, “TMC MLA Madan Mitra’s outrageous claim that ‘Prabhu Sri Ram was a Muslim, not a Hindu’ is a deliberate insult to the Hindu faith. This is what the TMC has degenerated into: daily attacks on Hindu belief.”
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 is being added to the tracker as the accused TMC MLA Madan Mitra mocked Lord Ram, who holds profound significance in Hinduism as the seventh avatar of Vishnu. He is the central figure of the epic Ramayana, and the embodiment of dharma, righteousness, and ideal kingship. Revered by over a billion Hindus worldwide, he symbolises moral virtue, devotion, and the triumph of good over evil, with his birthplace in Ayodhya serving as a focal point of faith. In this case, TMC MLA Madan Mitra denigrated and mocked Lord Ram by declaring him a Muslim rather than a Hindu, an act that directly assaults the core of Hindu theology and identity. This deliberate misrepresentation undermines Hinduism's foundational narratives, equates a divine Hindu icon with an alien religious identity, and provokes outrage by trivialising sacred beliefs, constituting a clear instance of anti-Hindu hate speech designed to deliberately hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. This hate speech stemmed from religious animosity and prejudice against Hindus and Hinduism, as Mitra's provocative claim sought to delegitimise Hindu deities and erode cultural pride. By falsely attributing a Muslim identity to Lord Ram, the TMC leader intentionally incited division, mocked revered symbols like the Ramayana, and reinforced narratives that portray Hinduism as inferior or fabricated. Such targeted denigration mirrors patterns of anti-Hindu hostility, where political figures engage in religious mockery to appease other communities, thereby fostering prejudice and communal tension while undermining the Hindu community's dignity and faith. Notably, this was not the first time TMC leaders mocked or denigrated Hindu beliefs. The Hinduphobia Tracker documented several prior instances of TMC leaders insulting Hinduism and Hindus. For example, in February 2025, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee mocked the Mahakumbh, a major Hindu religious congregation, by calling it a ‘Mrityu Kumbh’. She made this remark in the context of stampedes during Mahakumbh celebrations, stating, “Mahakumbh has now turned into Mrityu Kumbh. VIP people receive special facilities.” She further accused the Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath government of always playing politics over religion. In another instance, in January 2024, Trinamool Congress leader Satabdi Roy sparked outrage by referring to Lord Ram as "Below Poverty Line (BPL)" in a widely circulated social media video. She criticised the BJP for claiming to provide a house for Ram, sarcastically implying that Ram must be considered impoverished if the BJP offered him one. BJP leaders condemned TMC for disrespecting Hindu beliefs. This followed a November 2020 incident where another TMC figure ordered Hindus not to chant "Jai Shri Ram" in West Bengal. Similarly, in July 2025, Trinamool Congress MLA Savitri Mitra made prejudicial remarks against the Hindu community. She accused Hindus of "doing politics" while glorifying Muslims, openly declaring her love for Islam and the Muslim community. Therefore, this case of Madan Mitra and other TMC figures previously mocking Hinduism and targeting Hindus demonstrates that it was not a single isolated incident but rather a clear instance of premeditated hate speeches directed at the Hindu faith and sentiments. Consequently, this case is being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
