Insult to Hindu religious sentiments: Muslim man posts derogatory remarks on Hindu deities in Pratapgarh
Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India 
10 October, 2025
Case Summary
In the Bhikhampur village of Pratapgarh district, Uttar Pradesh, Hindu religious sentiments were insulted after derogatory statements were made against Hindu deities by a Muslim man named Akram Khan. According to reports, the accused, Akram Khan alias Allan, was posting indecent and derogatory remarks against Hindu gods and goddesses, the Prime Minister, and the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh on Facebook and other social media platforms. His repeated objectionable posts had caused deep resentment among the local Hindu community, who stated that such comments had hurt Hindu religious sentiments and disrupted social harmony. Bajrang Dal, a Hindu organisation, district coordinator Vinay Singh filed a formal complaint at the Aspur Devsara police station, following which a case was registered by the police. Station in-charge Vijendra Kumar Singh confirmed that a search operation was underway to apprehend the accused. Local residents expressed anger over the offensive posts and warned that failure to take strict action could lead to unrest, creating a law-and-order situation in the area.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The primary category selected in this case 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 constitutes a clear instance of anti-Hindu hate speech. The Muslim accused, Akram Khan alias Allan, posted obscene and offensive messages targeting Hinduism and Hindu deities on social media. The derogatory remarks made by the accused were not mere expressions of personal opinion but reflected a deep-seated animosity towards Hindus and their faith.Although his statements were not made public, the repeated nature of his behaviour showed a profound intolerance and hostility towards the Hindu faith. Such remarks were aimed at demeaning and undermining Hindu identity and beliefs. When an individual targets a community with offensive language and slurs, it signifies more than personal grievance—it exposes a systemic and deep-seated prejudice intended to sow discord and create hatred for the Hindu community. These acts are rooted in animosity toward Hindus and their faith, amounting to a clear instance of anti-Hindu hate speech. In Islamic theology, idol worship, referred to as Shirk, is regarded as the gravest sin. The Qur'an strictly condemns it, and Islamic teachings emphasise the complete rejection of any practice associated with idol worship. Muslims are taught from a young age that idolatry is an unforgivable sin. While this belief is central to the Islamic faith, it has also led, historically and in contemporary times, to intolerance and hostility towards idol-worshipping religions, especially Hinduism Therefore, the contempt expressed by Akram Khan towards Hindu deities reflects this deeper theological prejudice, wherein idol worship is viewed not merely as a religious difference but as impurity and offence. His online activity, therefore, was not just an act of individual disrespect but a manifestation of the wider religious hostility towards Hinduism. In recent times, social media has increasingly become a platform for anti-Hindu hate, with derogatory memes, videos, and messages targeting Hindu religious symbols, practices, and beliefs. Such content forms part of a broader pattern of Hinduphobia and religiously motivated online hate. This deliberate targeting of the Hindu community firmly establishes this act as a religiously motivated hate crime, and it is therefore being categorised under the hate crime database. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records the date of an incident based on when the crime occurred, rather than when it is reported by the media. In this case, media reports did not specify the exact date on which the derogatory comments were made. Therefore, this date of the incident was recorded as the date on which the complaint was filed - 11 October 2025.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
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