Anti-Hindu fake propaganda: Muslim cleric falsely claims he was beaten by Hindus for not chanting "Ram Ram"
Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India 
19 September, 2025
Case Summary
In Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh, anti-Hindu propaganda was spread by an Islamic cleric named Mustaqeem. He claimed that some Hindus attacked him for not chanting "Ram Ram", a Hindu religious greeting inspired by the name of Lord Ram. According to media reports, a video of Mustaqeem went viral on social media. In the video, he introduced himself as the Imam of the Lakhanpura mosque and a teacher of Urdu for children. He said that on Saturday evening (20th September 2025), he was returning from tutoring children when he was stopped near Bulakgarhi by some Hindus. He further claimed that they demanded he chant “Ram Ram.” When he refused, he claimed he was beaten and told to go to Pakistan. He also narrated that passers-by were called and abused. However, this narrative collapsed when the Aligarh police began investigating the matter. On their X (formerly Twitter) handle, Aligarh police confirmed that the incident was a minor scuffle and no religious angle was involved. Mustaqeem had been riding his bicycle when he tried to remove some children from the road. This led to an argument with Zeeshan, a Muslim youth, who was standing nearby, and the altercation escalated into a scuffle. Both sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. The Aligarh police on X tweeted, stating, "A case has come to our notice through social media, in which a person is stating that he was forced to chant some religious slogans and was beaten up. In this regard, it is informed that yesterday, dated 20.09.2025, at Lodha Police Station, under Gram Bulakgarhi, a person named Mustaqeem was going on his bicycle when some children came in the way, and during the process of removing those children, he had an argument with a person named Zeeshan who was standing nearby. This led to a scuffle between the two individuals, resulting in injuries. The police attended the incident on the spot and also conducted a scene inspection. In this connection, it is also informed that both individuals have been sent for treatment; both are stable now, and their medical examinations have been conducted. Upon investigation, the matter appears to be a case of simple assault; no element of any religious angle or forcing to chant religious slogans has emerged in this case. This claim is completely false, and the Aligarh Police refutes it. Legal proceedings are being followed in this matter, statements from both parties have been received, and there is peace at the scene."
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 subversion and prejudice. The tertiary categories selected are- 'Anti-Hindu fake news or downplaying' and 'Mislabelling/ Misrepresentation of perpetrator's religion as Hindu'. Hate speech is defined as any speech, gesture, conduct, writing, or display that is prejudicial against a specific individual and/or group of people, which is leading to or may lead to violence, prejudicial action or hate against that individual and/or group. Media plays a specific and overarching reach in perpetuating prejudicial attitudes towards a community owing to unfair, untrue coverage and/or misrepresentation/misinterpretation, selective coverage and/or omission of facts of/pertaining to issues affecting a specific religious group. This type of bias can dehumanise the victim group, making it easier for others to justify harmful actions against them, which aligns with the objectives of hate speech laws aimed at preventing such harm. It is often observed that the media takes a prejudicial stand against the Hindu community driven by their need to shield the aggressor community which happens to be a numeric minority, however, is the one perpetrating violence against Hindus. For example, the media is often quick to contextualise religiously motivated crimes against Hindus, omit or misrepresent facts that point towards religiously motivated hate crimes, justify and/or downplay religiously motivated hate crimes or simply present fake news to stereotype Hindus. Such media bias leads to the denial of persecution and is often used to dehumanise Hindus, leading to justification for violence against them. For example, the media covered several fake allegations of Hindus targeting Muslims and forcing them to chant Jai Shree Ram. Most of these cases were proved false and fabricated after police investigation. These fake news reports were subsequently never retracted or clarified. Such fake news led to the justification of violence and dehumanisation of Hindus based on the argument that since Hindus targeted Muslims and forced them to chant Jai Shree Ram, the dehumanisation of Hindus and violence against them was par for the course and merely a retaliation. Such media bias leads to prejudicial portrayal of Hindus and offers a justification for violence against them and therefore, is considered hate speech under this category. In this case, the Aligarh Muslim cleric Mustaqeem claimed that he was attacked by Hindus for not chanting "Ram Ram." This was a false claim, and it showcases a deep undermining of the Hindu faith. The very words "Ram Ram" hold profound reverence among Hindus as a spiritual greeting rooted in devotion to Lord Ram. By weaponising this sacred expression to spread a false narrative of Muslim victimhood, Mustaqeem displayed deep-seated religious animosity. His actions undermined the sanctity of the Hindu faith and turned a revered slogan into a tool for communal propaganda, making this case a religiously motivated hate speech. Mustaqeem fabricated this account to spread false news that Hindus had attacked him, when in reality, he was injured in a fight with a Muslim man named Zeeshan. This deliberate distortion portrayed Hindus as violent and intolerant, as though they were forcing their religion on others. Such propaganda gravely damaged the image of Hindus and reinforced a negative perception with far-reaching consequences. It perpetuated the stereotype that Hindus have historically persecuted Muslims while constructing a false Muslim victimhood narrative. At the same time, it fuelled an anti-Hindu narrative. The circulation of such falsehoods also had the potential to incite hatred and even violence against the Hindu community, fostering hostility, discrimination, and real-life dangers by wrongly presenting Hindus as aggressors. The actions of the accused, Mustaqeem, are rooted in deep-seated animosity towards the Hindu community, making it a religiously motivated hate speech. Given these factors, this fabricated narrative by Mustaqeem meets the parameters of a religiously motivated hate speech. It was not just a personal lie, but a deliberate attempt to create communal discord at the cost of Hindu dignity. For this reason, the case is being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.
Case Status
Case sub-judice
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
