Hindu community targeted; Muslim politician supports anti-Hindu hate speech by Islamic scholar
Akola, Maharashtra, India 
18 February, 2024
Case Summary
In Maharashtra’s Akola, an anti-Hindu speech was delivered by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Imtiaz Jaleel. He publicly supported the hateful remarks made by Islamic preacher Salman Azhari, who referred to Hindus as "dogs." Speaking at a public rally in Akola on 19th February 2024, Jaleel defended Salman Azhari’s words, saying that the Mufti had merely spoken a ‘Sher’ (couplet). He challenged those offended by Azhari’s speech, questioning why they considered themselves the "dogs" mentioned. Jaleel stated, “He said that today is the time for the dogs [Hindus], but our time will come. Yet, they arrested the Maulana Sahib. Who called you dogs? Why assume that you are dogs? Even though no one was named, all started barking.” Earlier, Gujarat Police arrested Mufti Salman Azhari on 4th February 2025 for delivering an inflammatory speech against Hindus during a public gathering near the Narayan Vidya Mandir, close to the Junagadh court, on 31st January 2024. In his speech, Azhari proclaimed, “The final battle of Karbala is yet to come… a moment of silence, then noise will rise again. Today is the time of the dogs, tomorrow will be our time.” Following these remarks, he chanted religious slogans, which the crowd echoed enthusiastically. Mufti Azhari further claimed that Muslims have suffered atrocities, including being beaten, slaughtered, having children killed, women robbed, houses destroyed, and mosques burnt, yet their leaders fail to unite them. He criticised Muslim youths for wasting time on online games and social media while their dignity is attacked, contrasting this with the action needed to defend their faith. Reports confirm that Mufti Salman Azhari has a history of delivering incendiary speeches and inciting Muslim youths against Hinduism. Multiple hate speech cases have been filed against him. Recently, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad announced an investigation into possible terror links related to Azhari’s activities and the financing of his trust, the ‘Al-Amaan Education and Welfare Trust’. Additionally, Imtiaz Jaleel praised AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for his speech in Parliament, in which Owaisi asserted, “Babri Masjid was, is and will continue to exist.” Jaleel remarked, “It takes courage… three hundred parliamentarians are seated, and there he stands, declaring that for us, Babri Masjid was, is and shall remain, despite the Ram Mandir’s presence.”
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been 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. In this case, it is crucial to understand the context behind the incident. Mufti Salman Azhari delivered a speech that was unmistakably anti-Hindu. By referring to Hindus as "dogs" and declaring that "today is the time of the dogs, tomorrow will be our time," the Mufti not only insulted the Hindu community but also actively incited hatred against them on religious grounds. His disparaging remarks extended to sacred Hindu sites and beliefs, including the controversies surrounding the Ram Janmabhoomi and Gyanvapi Masjid. These statements clearly aimed to demean Hindu identity and to sow discord. The public support for these hateful remarks by an AIMIM politician, Imtiaz Jaleel, reveals his own deep-seated religious animosity towards Hindus, making this a blatant example of an anti-Hindu hate crime. When a political figure endorses such inflammatory rhetoric, it has serious and lasting consequences. The legitimisation of hateful speech by politicians normalises Hinduphobia within mainstream society. This fuels widespread stigmatisation, discrimination, and marginalisation of the Hindu community. The repeated dehumanisation of Hindus by labelling them "dogs" promotes resentment and division, often escalating into communal violence and social unrest targeting Hindus. This behaviour undermines social harmony and perpetuates cycles of religiously motivated hatred. Furthermore, the accused’s support for AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi’s assertion that the Babri Masjid “was, is and will always be” exposes a profound contempt for Hinduism. The Ram Janmabhoomi temple is of immense spiritual significance to Hindus; it was destroyed by the Mughal emperor Babur and replaced by the Babri Masjid. After a lengthy and hard-fought social and legal battle, Hindus succeeded in reconstructing the temple on its original site. Owaisi’s statement endorsing the perpetual existence of the mosque at this disputed location effectively supports Islamic supremacy and the religious animosity that led to the desecration of the temple. Imtiaz Jaleel’s backing of this view further demonstrates his antagonism towards the Hindu faith and constitutes clear anti-Hindu hate speech. This pattern of inflammatory rhetoric and political backing dehumanises and disrespects the Hindu community, showcasing anti-Hindu animosity of the perpetrator. Therefore, this case is being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
