Ashwathama temple in Belagavi attacked with stone by Muslim man
Belgaum, Karnataka, India 
18 March, 2025
Case Summary
In Belagavi, Karnataka, a Hindu temple named Ashwathama temple in Pangul Gali was attacked with a stone by a 19-year-old Muslim man, Yasir Nesaragi. He took advantage of the crowd gathered in the area due to Ramzan and threw a stone at the Hindu temple. Following the attack, he was apprehended by members of the Hindu community and was subsequently beaten for targeting the temple. According to media reports, Yasir attacked the temple because he was offended by some boys who were celebrating Holi while wearing burqas. Police Commissioner Iada Martin Marbaniang confirmed that, on the previous night, a 19-year-old Muslim man had taken a stone and struck the gate of Ashwathama Temple in Pangul Galli. The crowd immediately caught him and tied him to a pole. A police team arrived on the scene and secured him. The police registered a case against the accused. According to one of the news reports, Yasir had been receiving psychiatric treatment for some time. He was arrested by the police, and a case was filed against him. While the incident caused some communal tensions in the area, the situation was swiftly brought under control by the prompt response of the police. Additional security was deployed to the temple to prevent any further incidents. The police then initiated an investigation into this case.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack on Hindu Religious Representations. The subcategory 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. This incident qualifies as a religiously motivated hate crime as it involves a deliberate attack on a Hindu temple, which holds deep spiritual and sacred significance in Hindu Dharma. In Hindu belief, a temple is not merely a structure but the living abode of the deity, consecrated through rituals and imbued with divine energy. The act of throwing a stone at the Ashwathama Temple in Belagavi, especially during a time of heightened religious activity like Ramzan and shortly after Holi celebrations, suggests targeted animosity toward the Hindu faith and its expressions. The use of the "mental illness" trope to justify crimes targeting a Hindu temple by a Muslim perpetrator raises critical questions. If perpetrators are indeed mentally unstable, why do they specifically target a Hindu temple? This selective focus suggests that such acts are not driven by mental health issues but by religious animosity.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
