Hindu deity's picture desecrated; Muslim men urinate, use profane language and pelt stones
Solapur, Maharashtra, India 
3 May, 2025
Case Summary
In Barshi, Solapur, Maharashtra, a picture of a Hindu deity named Vithu Mauli was desecrated, urinated upon and stoned by two Muslim men, namely Sohail and Zubair. The two accused also used abusive language. According to news reports, Sohail and Zubair urinated on a picture of the revered Hindu deity Vithu Mauli, pelted stones at it, and used abusive language at the deity. Following this, an FIR was registered against both individuals. This caused outrage among the local Hindus, and it reignited people to demand stricter laws to prevent such religious desecration. Locals have expressed their anger and called for swift action against the perpetrators. Vithu Mauli, famously known as Vitthal or Vithoba, is a widely revered form of Lord Krishna worshipped in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and other parts of western India. He is one of the major deities who were the centre of the Bhakti movement in Maharashtra. In this case, an FIR was registered against the accused, Sohail and Zubair, for desecrating Hindu deities.
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- Desecration of Hindu religious symbol Icons and symbols or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal are widely revered in Hinduism. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations, is driven by animosity towards the faith itself which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. The other primary category selected is - 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. This case has been added to the tracker as it is a crime motivated by religious hate. In this case, the Muslim men urinated on the picture of the Hindu deity. He also went ahead to pelt stones and hurl abuses at the deity's picture. This act depicts deep-rooted hostility towards Hinduism. The motivation of the crime was religious and theological animosity against Hindus, Hinduism and its representations. This indicates a clear intent to insult and provoke Hindu religious sentiments. His actions were not accidental or incidental but appeared to be a conscious and targeted act of disrespecting Hinduism. The fact is well known that Hindu symbols, idols, and images are part of the daily worship of Hindus and are highly revered. The act of urinating on a Hindu deity's image does not seem accidental but rather highlights the disturbing pattern of Muslim perpetrators insulting Hinduism and its symbols due to animosity rooted in the Islamic theology. Another point to be noted is that after urinating on the image of the deity, the accused pelted stones over it and even used abusive language towards the deity. Vithu Mauli is considered to be one of the forms of Krishna and is highly revered in different parts of Western India. Using derogatory language against a revered figure like Vithu Mauli is considered blasphemous and deeply offensive to the religious sentiments of Hindus. This makes it even more evident that the actions of the two accused were not an accidental mistake but rather a deliberate action done to cause hurt to Hindu sentiments. This stems from deep-rooted animosity and disdain for Hinduism and Hindus at large. Given that the fundamental motivation behind this incident is contempt for the Hindu religion, this instance has been added to the tracker under the Hate Crime category.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
