Revered Hindu deities abused, Hindu locals threatened by group of unidentified men in Himachal Pradesh
Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, India 
16 November, 2025
Case Summary
In Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, Hindu deities were abused, and Hindu locals were threatened by a group of unidentified men. According to reports, the incident occurred in the Surada neighbourhood of Chamba. In this event, the perpetrators, armed with weapons and travelling in unregistered vehicles, threatened and intimidated local Hindu residents. The accused also made derogatory remarks about Hindu deities. In response, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) held a strong protest in Rampur on 17th November 2025 against this incident. VHP workers sent a memorandum to the Governor through the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Harsh Amarendra Singh, demanding immediate action to curb the rising criminal and anti-social activities in the state. VHP District President Suresh Mehta and District Minister Vishnu Sharma stated that maintaining law and order in the state is the responsibility of the government and administration, but the ongoing incidents raise severe questions about their functioning. As per reports, with increasing numbers of traders and labourers coming from other states, drug trafficking, cow smuggling, illegal activities, and the actions of anti-social elements have been on the rise. Such cases have been reported in several areas, including Sundernagar, Kullu, Bilaspur, Una, Nalagarh, and Palampur. Suresh Mehta of the VHP warned the authorities that if concrete steps were not taken soon, VHP workers would be compelled to take to the streets.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case is being added to the tracker under the primary category- Hate Speech against Hindus. 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. Another primary category selected in this case is- Attack not resulting in death. The subcategory selected is- Attacked for Hindu identity. In several cases, Hindus are attacked merely for their Hindu identity without any perceived provocation. A classic example of this category of religiously motivated hate crime is a murder in 2016. 7 ISIS terrorists were convicted for shooting a school principal in Kanpur because they got ‘triggered’ seeing the Kalava on his wrist and tilak that he had put. In this, the Hindu victim had offered no provocation except for his Hindu religious identity. The motivation for the murder was purely religious, driven by religious supremacy. Such cases where Hindus are targeted merely for their religious identity would be documented as a hate crime under this category. This case is a clear instance of a religiously motivated hate crime against Hindus. Firstly, the accused denigrated Hindu deities, who are highly revered and considered manifestations of the divine in Hinduism. For Hindus, these deities form an integral part of everyday religious practice, being central to worship, rituals, and prayers. Hindu devotees grow up revering these deities, and they serve as the foundation of religious identity and community cohesion. Abusing these sacred figures deeply offends Hindu sentiments and is a deliberate act intended to wound the religious feelings of the Hindu community. Such abusive attacks on Hindu deities amount to clear religiously motivated hate speech, reflecting animosity towards Hinduism and its followers. In the same context, the accused’s threats against local Hindu residents further demonstrate their religious animus. The hostility exhibited was not limited to speech but extended to intimidation and threats, clearly targeting the Hindu residents due to their religious identity. Such threatening conduct against individuals because of their Hindu faith amounts to a religiously motivated hate crime. In this case, even though the perpetrators' identity is unknown, the act is motivated by religious hatred towards Hinduism and the Hindu community. Therefore, this case is being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records the dates of incidents based on when the crime occurs rather than when it is reported by the media. In this case, media reports were published on 17th November 2025; however, the exact date of the crime remains unspecified. The reports only mention that Hindu activists protested on 17th November 2025 following the incident. Therefore, for documentation purposes, 17th November 2025, is being considered as the indicative date of the incident.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
