Akhil Bharatiya OBC Mahasabha burns copies of the holy Hindu scripture Ramcharitmanas in support of Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya
Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India 
28 January, 2023
Case Summary
On January 29, Akhil Bharatiya OBC Mahasabha burnt the copies of Ramcharitmanas written by poet and saint Tulsidas in the Vrindavan Yojana of the PGI Kotwali area of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The OBC Mahasabha members announced their support to Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya who recently stirred controversy by saying that the Ramcharitmanas should be banned. In the video that went viral, the protesting OBC Mahasabha members went on to misquote the holy Hindu scripture by saying that the Ramcharitmanas contains several Chaupai (verses) against women and the Shudras.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This particular case has been classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under the core categories of 'Attack on Hindu religious symbols' and 'Hate speech against Hindus' because there is a distinct component in this case, which essentially involves the burning and misquoting of the Ramcharitmanas, a revered text that holds a place of profound importance in Hinduism, that demonstrates the perpetrator's bias against the Hindu faith. The first category relevant in this case is 'Attack on Hindu religious symbols' under which 'Desecration of Hindu religious symbols' has been chosen as the sub-category because of the details of the case. Icons and symbols or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal are widely revered in Hinduism. 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. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations, is driven by animosity towards the faith itself which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. The second prime category relevant here is 'Hate speech against Hindus' under which the sub-category selected here is- Misquoting scriptures as hate speech- Misquoting the religious scriptures of Hindus has particularly devastating consequences. Misquoting the scriptures of Hindus is often done to justify or promote hatred, discrimination, or violence against specific individuals or groups of Hindus. Religious scriptures are often nuanced and those who harbour religious animosity towards Hindus often misquote or misrepresent the scripture to legitimise their animosity and hate towards the faith and its adherents. Religious scriptures have often been misquoted to present stereotypical lies about Hinduism being “oppressive” and therefore, legitimising the violence against Hindus by extremist and supremacist ideologies. Any such misquoting of scriptures to justify hate, violence and discrimination against Hindus owing to religious animosity is hate speech and is categorised as such. Ramcharitmanas is a sacred scripture for Hindus as it narrates the life and deeds of Lord Ram. Desecrating the Ramcharitmanas deeply wounds the religious sentiments of Hindus. Such acts are seen as direct affronts to their faith and devotion. In this case, the perpetrators not only burnt copies of the revered Hindu text but also misquoted the holy scripture, which is considered an insult to the Hindu faith because it distorts the sacred teachings and disrespects the spiritual and cultural values of the Hindu community. This is religious harassment that is severe enough to be included in the hate tracker since the desecration of the Hindu holy scripture by the miscreants is a clear assault on Hindus and their faith and is motivated by an underlying animosity for the religion.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Sources 
