Hindu temple attacked; idols of Hindu deities vandalised in West Bengal by extremists
Nandigram, West Bengal, India 
13 March, 2025
Case Summary
In Kamalpur village, in Nandigram Block 2, Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal, idols of Hindu deities were vandalised by extremists. The Hindu temple was attacked, and the idols were desecrated. On 14th March 2025, BJP's national spokesperson, Amit Malviya, shared a video on his official X handle showing the vandalised idols of Hindu deities. His video showed a man saying, "This is a critical situation... The response of the police is muted... You can see that the cops are not doing anything." The footage also showed the police trying to intimidate a person who was recording a video of the desecrated site. Amit Malviya stated, "In Kamalpur, within the Amadabad region of Nandigram Block 2, residents had been engaged in worship since last Tuesday." He further said, "However, when the puja and Ram Narayan kirtan continued uninterrupted, certain individuals — unable to tolerate the chanting of Shri Ram’s name — vandalised the site and desecrated the idols." The recent attacks on Hindu temples in West Bengal are concerning. Even the state government and police tried to downplay the incidents, claiming they could not find any religious angle. On 7th March, a Muslim man named Sheikh Indu vandalised the idol of Devi Shitala and set it on fire at a temple in Baruipur city, South 24 Parganas district. In this case, the police suggested the accused had mental health issues. Similarly, on 9th March 2025, a Hindu temple of Devi Kali was vandalised in Basirhat city, North 24 Parganas district. Here too, the West Bengal police stated that the attack was not communal and again suggested the attacker had mental illness.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Under this, the first 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 relevant here is- Desecration of Hindu religious symbol. 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. In Hinduism, temples are sacred spaces of worship, and the deities are revered with deep respect. Acts of temple vandalism and deliberate idol desecration, as demonstrated in this case, are seen as deeply offensive and sacrilegious. Such actions often stem from entrenched animosity and an intent to insult the faith. This clear attack on religious sentiments exemplifies hate and justifies its inclusion in the tracker. It is important to mention here that though the last update was that the miscreants were unknown, regardless, the action stemmed out of hatred against Hinduism and resulted in the desecration of the sacred temple and would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
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Perpetrators Range
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Perpetrators Gender
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