Hanuman temple destroyed by state officials in Andhra Pradesh
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India 
1 February, 2025
Case Summary
In Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, a Hindu temple of lord Hanuman named 'Anjaneya Swami temple' was demolished by GVMC officials. GVMC stands for Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation. They destroyed the temple without any prior notice. A video of the demolition of the temple was posted by an X handle named 'AngrySaffron'. YSRCP Central Constituency Coordinator and former MLA Malladi Vishnu strongly condemned the demolition of the Abhayanjaneya Swamy Temple in Seethammadhara, Visakhapatnam, stating that it was carried out without prior notice or due process. Vishnu criticised the ruling coalition for escalating temple demolitions and attacks on priests since coming to power. He denounced the act as a serious offence. He recalled previous incidents, including the demolition of the Nagamma Temple in Nellore for road expansion, which involved the displacement of deity idols. He also highlighted the destruction of the Trikoteswara Swamy and Kanakadurga Amma Temples in Palnadu, as well as the demolition of the 40-year-old Nagendra Swamy Temple at the Madhuranagar canal bund. Accusing the government of deliberately targeting Hindu sentiments, Vishnu further cited the dismantling of a cow shelter at Sri Krishna Mandir as evidence of the politicisation of temple demolitions.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The case has been added to the tracker under two prime categories. The first is- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Attack on Temples. In Hinduism, a temple is the abode of the Deity. The Deity in the Temple is consecrated, thereby, making it a real, breathing entity. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the temple premises itself are sacred to Hindus since Hindus hold the faith that the entire Temple space is an amalgamation of the divine energy of the deity. Given the central significance of Temples in Hindu Dharma, any attack against a Hindu Temple or its peripheral premises is an attack on the faith itself and is born out of animosity towards the faith, of which, the Temple is a central tenet. Any manner of attack against a Temple and/or its premises would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. The second sub-category selected here is- Restriction/ban on Hindu practices and within this, the sub-category selected is- Restriction on expression of Hindu identity. An example of the state-affected prejudicial and targeted orders against the Hindu community would be a government denying the right of a Hindu or a group of Hindus to hold a religious procession owing to the animosity of non-Hindu groups. Denial of the religious right of the Hindus to assuage the non-Hindu group which harbours animosity to a point where it could lead to violence against Hindus is not only a failure of law and order but is a prejudicial order against Hindus, denying them their fundamental rights to express their religious identity. An example of a hate crime against Hindus by a non-Hindu would be a non-Hindu institution forcing its Hindu employees to abandon religious symbols that a Hindu would wear as an expression of faith owing to inherent prejudice against the faith professed by the victim or a non-Hindu group of people restricting a Hindu group from constructing a place of worship simply because the demography of the area in which the temple is being built is dominated by non-Hindus. Such actions are driven by religious animosity and/or prejudice against Hindus and their faith and would therefore be categorized as a hate crime. In this instance, the government officials in Andhra Pradesh demolished a revered Hindu Temple without prior notice. In Hinduism, temples are sacred spaces of worship, and the deities are revered with deep respect. Here, despite knowing this fact, officials, under the guise of administrative actions, demolished the Anjaneya Swami Temple in Visakhapatnam. Not only this, the details mentioned here show that there is a pattern of repeated demolitions, including those of the Nagamma Temple in Nellore, the Trikoteswara Swamy and Kanakadurga Amma Temples in Palnadu, and the 40-year-old Nagendra Swamy Temple. This indicates a broader effort to undermine Hindu religious presence. Such actions are deeply prejudicial and reflect a blatant disregard for Hindus and their faith. The repeated demolition of Hindu temples without prior notice, while other religious structures remain untouched, exposes a clear bias against Hindu religious institutions. This systematic targeting not only disrupts the spiritual and cultural fabric of the Hindu community but also sends a message of deliberate neglect toward their sentiments. Such arbitrary actions taken against Hindus are prejudicial to the rights of Hindus and stem from animosity and prejudice against Hindu beliefs, which is why this case is being categorised as a religiously motivated hate crime.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
State and Establishment
Perpetrators Range
From 5 to 10
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
