Hindu sentiments insulted as man on social media makes abusive remarks against Hindu deities
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India 
23 December, 2025
Case Summary
An anti-Hindu video denigrating and abusing Hindu deities was made by a man named Arunesh Kushwaha, a fourth-semester student at Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (RGPV) University. The accused hurled several offensive and vulgar remarks at Lord Ram and Lord Krishna. This incident surfaced when a video of the accused went viral on social media. The viral video showed the student using abusive language against Lord Ram and Lord Krishna. He called Lord Ram and Lord Krishna rapists in the video. He further stated that Lord Krishna promised forgiveness after committing rape if perpetrators chanted his name. He further mocked Lord Ram by stating, "Your Ram abandoned his wife." After the video went viral, several Hindu organisations expressed strong opposition. They stated that such comments hurt religious sentiments and could incite tension in society. They demanded strict legal action against the accused student. A complaint was lodged at the Gandhinagar police station. Police launched an investigation and verified the authenticity of the viral video. Police officials confirmed that further action would be taken after an investigation. At the time of writing this report, Hindu organisations also demanded disciplinary action from the university administration. The university complied and banned Arunesh Kushwaha from giving examinations.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been 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 stands as a clear instance of religiously motivated hate speech, as the accused denigrated and abused Lord Ram and Lord Krishna. Hindu deities like Lord Ram and Lord Krishna hold divine religious importance in Hinduism as incarnations of the divine who embody dharma, righteousness, and protection of devotees. Hindus revere them as sacred icons, worshipping them daily through puja, festivals like Ram Navami and Janmashtami, and lifelong devotion that forms the core of their spiritual identity. The accused, Arunesh Kushwaha, denigrated these revered figures by calling Lord Ram and Lord Krishna rapists, mocking Lord Ram by saying that he abandoned his wife Sita, and fabricating that Lord Krishna promised forgiveness to rapists who chanted his name. This vulgar abuse showcased his deep-seated hatred towards Hindus and Hinduism, portraying sacred deities as criminals to humiliate and undermine the faith, marking it as clear, religiously motivated hate speech driven by animosity against Hindu beliefs. The accused amplified this hate by recording and uploading the video to social media, where it went viral, inflicting widespread pain on Hindus who witnessed their deities profaned publicly. Such public denigration maximised emotional trauma, shattering religious reverence and fostering insecurity among Hindu devotees. When an educated fourth-semester student at Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya university spewed such filth, it emboldened others to mimic the abuse, normalising attacks on Hinduism and inciting further denigration of the Hindu community, cementing this as religiously motivated hate speech with dangerous societal ripple effects. This case met all parameters of religiously motivated hate speech and has been added to the Hinduphobia Tracker's Hate Crime Database.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
