Anti-Hindu slogans raised by leftist students in public university of Delhi, India
Delhi, India 
19 March, 2024
Case Summary
On March 20, 2024, anti-Hindu slogans were raised at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), a prominent left-wing stronghold, sparking controversy. According to reports, a viral video captured left-wing students shouting slogans like, “Mile Phule-Kanshi Ram, Hawa Mein Ud Gaye Jai Shri Ram”. Additionally, slogans such as “Brahmanwad se azadi” (freedom from Brahminism) and “Free Palestine” were heard amidst the sounds of trumpets and dhol drums. It is pertinent to recall that in the 1990s (1993), when the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance opposed the Bharatiya Janata Party in Uttar Pradesh, supporters of both parties used to chant "Mile Mulayam-Kanshi Ram, Hawa Mein Ud Gaye Jai Shri Ram". As can be heard in the viral video, ‘Azadi’ (freedom) slogans were again chanted loudly in JNU. In addition, derogatory slogans were raised against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Notably, this is the same JNU where slogans like ‘'Afzal, hum sharminda hain, tere qatil zinda hain,'' meaning "Afzal, we are ashamed, your killers are alive," were chanted in support of an Islamic terrorist who attacked the Indian Parliament. Besides this, slogans such as ''Bharat tere tukde honge Inshallah Inshallah'', meaning, "India, you will be broken into pieces, Inshallah Inshallah," were raised in the university.
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 important to note that the slogan, Jai Shri Ram, stands as a sacred Hindu chant, translating directly to "Victory to Lord Rama" or "Glory to Lord Rama," dedicated unwaveringly to Lord Rama, the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu and the central figure in the epic Ramayana. Hindu devotees invoke this powerful phrase to seek divine protection, embody dharma—the unyielding principle of righteousness—and celebrate Rama's eternal triumph over evil, as exemplified in his victory against the demon king Ravana. This chant unites millions in profound faith during major festivals such as Ram Navami, marking Rama's birth, and Dussehra, commemorating his conquest of adharma, reinforcing its role as a cornerstone of Hindu religious identity and cultural heritage. Mocking it through derogatory slogans like "Mile Phule-Kanshi Ram, Hawa Mein Ud Gaye Jai Shri Ram" desecrated this sacred devotion outright, igniting deep religious animosity by trivialising and ridiculing a core element of Hindu identity that billions hold dear. Furthermore, the slogan “Brahmanvaad se Azadi”—freedom from Brahmanism—stands as a clear instance of anti-Hindu hate speech, with "Brahmanism" serving as a deliberate euphemism to target the entire Hindu community and its ancient faith. Leftists and Islamists wield this term to vilify Hinduism as a whole, collapsing its diverse traditions, scriptures, deities, and festivals into a caricatured stereotype of priestly dominance, thereby launching a veiled assault on Hindu dharma itself. Any attack framed as opposing "Brahmanism" directly undermines the Hindu faith and community, employing semantic jugglery to confuse Hindus and prevent recognition of these targeted assaults on their temples, rituals, and civilisational identity, all while peddling raw animosity that qualifies unequivocally as hate speech. The JNU incident constituted clear anti-Hindu hate speech as left-wing students brazenly paired their mockery of Jai Shri Ram with chants of "Free Palestine" and "Azadi" (freedom), outright rejecting Hindu reverence in favour of divisive, supremacist ideologies. Far from genuine solidarity with Palestinians, "Free Palestine" in this Indian university context asserted Islamic supremacy and a toxic left-Islamist brotherhood, deliberately targeting Hindus as India's majority to dismantle the nation's cultural and civilisational fabric. Leftists and Islamists maintained this alliance to undermine any non-left government, pursuing their visions of a communist-socialist state or an Islamic caliphate, while imposing their bigotry on Hindus. Leftists and Islamists do this since they perceive India as a sacred Hindu collectivity. Likewise, "Azadi" slogans functioned as calls to annihilate and secede parts of India from the union, echoing past separatist threats, and against the backdrop of India as a Hindu collectivity, these revealed deep-seated hatred for Hindus and their identity, cementing the event as unambiguous anti-Hindu speech. This case meets the parameters of anti-Hindu hate speech; therefore, it is being added to the Hinduphobia Tracker's hate crime database.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
both
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