Attack on Hindu religious sentiments: Youth posts inflammatory remarks against Hindu deities on Instagram
Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, India 
11 July, 2025
Case Summary
In Harpalpur, Hardoi, Ravi, son of Veerpal, posted offensive remarks about Hindu deities on Instagram. According to available information, the accused is a resident of the Ambedkar Nagar locality under the Harpalpur police station. He posted derogatory comments about Sanatan Dharma and Hindu deities on Instagram. Upon learning of the incident, acting Station House Officer (SHO) Anil Singh immediately directed his subordinates to arrest the accused. Soon after, Sub-Inspector Abdul Mohid and Constable Vipin Kumar arrested the accused and brought him to the police station. Sub-Inspector Abdul Mohid stated that action has been taken against the accused under relevant legal sections, and strict action will be taken against anyone attempting to disturb peace in the area.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Hate Speech against Hindus. Within this, 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 incident constitutes hate speech against Hindus as it involves deliberate and public expressions intended to insult and provoke the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. The derogatory comments made against Hindu deities and Sanatana dharma were designed to undermine and abuse Hindu beliefs, making it a religiously motivated hate speech against Hindus and their faith. Hindu deities are central to the Hindu faith, and they are held in high reverence among the Hindu community. Any attempt to mock or insult them stems from religious animosity towards Hinduism. The usage of such language constitutes a direct attack on the religious identity of Hindus and contributes to the growing environment of hostility and intolerance toward the community. Hence, it qualifies as a hate crime targeting Hindus for their faith. Acts like this are considered hate speech because they go beyond the realm of criticism or debates, seeking instead to denigrate a religious group and its revered deities. Instances of denigrating and abusing Hindu deities arise from entrenched religious animosity towards Hindus and their faith. In recent times, social media has increasingly become a platform for anti-Hindu hate, with derogatory comments, memes, videos, and messages targeting Hindu religious symbols, practices, and deities. Such content forms part of a broader pattern of Hinduphobia and religious hate speech online. In this case, the deliberate targeting and denigrating of revered Hindu deities firmly establishes this act as religiously motivated hate speech, and it is therefore categorised under the hate crime database. Disclaimer: It is important to clarify that the report does not specify the exact date when the anti-Hindu remarks were posted on Instagram. Therefore, for documentation purposes, we have recorded the date based on when the incident was reported in the media.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
