Hindu beliefs mocked; derogatory comments about Hindu deities posted on Instagram by Muslim youth
Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India 
11 May, 2025
Case Summary
A Muslim youth named Riyaz was arrested in Bahadrabad for posting derogatory comments about Hindu deities on Instagram. His actions hurt religious sentiments, leading to a case being filed. Police seized his phone and sent him to jail under the relevant BNS sections. Riyaz, son of Fateh Mohammad, is a resident of Barhedi Rajputan village under the Bahadrabad police station. It was reported that the accused had been posting derogatory remarks about Hindu deities through his Instagram account for the past few days, hurting the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. A case was filed against him. The Bahadrabad police acted and arrested Riyaz from Sulfur Mod, Shantarsah, Bahadrabad. The mobile phone used for the offensive posts was also recovered and sealed. A case was filed against the accused under Sections 196 and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and he was produced before the court, which sent him to jail.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker un the primary category of - Hate speech against Hindus. The sub-category selected here 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. The other category selected here is- Attack on Hindu religious representations and within this, the sub-category selected is- Iconoclastic representation of Hindu Gods/Goddesses. An icon is a symbol of someone or something that is revered, or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal. 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. Any iconoclastic representation of these symbols, images and murtis is an affront to the religious beliefs and faith of the Hindu community itself since the symbols and icons are deeply religious in nature. In this sub-category of crime, we would record hate crimes and iconoclastic representations, in words, art, or any other form of representations of symbols that hold religious significance for the Hindu community. Since these symbols, icons and murtis are central to the Hindu faith, any iconoclastic representation of these symbols is born out of animosity towards the faith itself, manifesting itself through these symbols and therefore, these representations would be considered religiously motivated hated crimes. In this case, a Muslim youth named Riyaz posted derogatory comments about Hindu deities on Instagram. Deities are an integral part of the Hindu religion. Any attempt to mock them is born out of animosity towards the Hindu religion. The posts made were intended to provoke and offend Hindus. The content made by Riyaz was specifically designed to mock the Hindu faith. The deliberate nature of the insult points to an effort not just to provoke but to degrade the core beliefs of a religious community. Hence, this case is added to the tracker.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
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