Lord Shiva and Hindu leaders targeted in offensive cartoons in Indore
Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India 
20 May, 2025
Case Summary
In Indore, Madhya Pradesh, a cartoonist, Hemant Malviya, posted inappropriate comments, videos, and photos of Lord Shiva. He was arrested by the police. He also posted offensive cartoons, videos, photos, and remarks targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, RSS volunteers, and others. The officer stated that the FIR was filed at Lasudia police station based on a complaint by Vinay Joshi, a city lawyer and worker of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), against cartoonist Hemant Malviya, who is active on social media. The FIR mentioned objectionable content posted on Malviya’s Facebook account, including inappropriate comments related to Lord Shiva, as well as cartoons, videos, and photos. He also posted objectionable cartoons, videos, photos, and commentary involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi, RSS volunteers, and others. According to the officer, the FIR described Malviya’s cartoons as ‘objectionable,’ ‘indecent,’ and ‘uncalled for,’ and it was stated that they were shared on social media with the intent to hurt Hindu religious sentiments and tarnish the image of the RSS. Malviya has around 40,000 followers on Facebook. He has posted a disclaimer on his Facebook profile stating that all characters in his cartoons are “fictional,” and any resemblance of their faces to any person is “coincidental” and depends on “the imagination of the viewers.” At the time of writing this report, the accused was not arrested, and the investigation was ongoing.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category - Attack on Hindu religious representations. 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. The other primary category selected is - Hate Speech against Hindus. The sub-category 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. The other sub-category selected is - Mocking/denigrating Hindu leaders. 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. Religious leaders are often seen as representatives of the community, especially, the community’s religious faith and beliefs. Mocking or denigrating a religious leader specifically owing to his religious identity and/or the religious rituals he observes can be considered hate speech because the motivating factor of the speech is animosity and/or dislike for what he represents – the religious beliefs and faith of the community. It is important to note that mere insulting words against an individual do not constitute hate speech. It is entirely possible that insulting words are used for an individual, however, the specific speech is not the result of religious hate and/or animosity towards the professed faith of the religious leader, but the individual himself. For the speech to be considered hate speech, the speech itself or the motivating factor behind the speech has to be religious in nature. Such speech which denigrates Hindu religious leaders specifically owing to animosity towards the faith they profess and the community faith they represent will be treated as hate speech under this category. In this case, cartoonist Hemant Malviya posted the objectionable cartoons, videos, and images posted by Malviya on social media, involving Lord Shiva. They are not merely instances of artistic expression or criticism. Instead, they constitute an iconoclastic representation of symbols that are held sacred by the Hindu community. In Hinduism, iconography serves as a deeply spiritual medium, connecting the devotee to the divine. Symbols such as the Shivling, Om, and murtis (idols) are not just artistic depictions but are central to daily worship, rituals, and cultural life. When these icons are misrepresented in a manner that is perceived as vulgar, derogatory, or mocking, as was done by Malviya, it amounts to an affront to the collective religious sentiments of the Hindu community. This form of representation is not accidental or neutral—it stems from animosity towards the faith itself, and thus constitutes a religiously motivated hate crime. By mocking Lord Shiva through distorted and indecent imagery, the act effectively targets the belief system of a religious group, fulfilling the definition of a hate crime. Furthermore, the content shared also mocks Hindu figures such as PM Modi and the RSS, which reflects a deeper ideological hostility. This is not isolated satire, it fits into a broader pattern, particularly among Islamist and leftist elements, where opposition to Hindu leaders is used as a proxy for targeting the Hindu community as a whole. In this worldview, Bharat is seen not as a neutral nation-state but as a Hindu collectivity, The very basis of the partition of India was that the Muslims believed that Islam was a nation unto itself, which could not survive with a Hindu collectivity like India. In this framework, leaders like Modi and organisations like the RSS become symbolic targets because they represent a confident, unapologetic Hindu identity asserting itself in its ancestral homeland. Therefore, derision directed at them often serves as a proxy for hate towards Hindus at large. Disclaimer: It is important to clarify that the report does not specify the exact date when the cartoonist posted an offensive post on Facebook. Therefore, for documentation purposes, we have recorded the date based on when the FIR was filed.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
