Anti-Hindu, pro-Pakistan song played near Hindu temple by Muslim man in Palghar, Maharashtra
Palghar, Maharashtra, India 
1 January, 2026
Case Summary
In the Karmadpada area of Palghar district, Maharashtra, Hindu sentiments were insulted after a Muslim man named Abdul Rahman Sadruddin Shah played an anti-India song containing the slogans “Tukdon mein battega Hindustan, Kashmir banega Pakistan” near a Hindu temple. According to reports, Abdul Rahman Sadruddin Shah (25) was the owner of the Ruhaan Hair Cutting Salon located opposite the temple. He played the anti-India song via YouTube on his mobile phone and broadcast it through a Bluetooth speaker, which was clearly audible on the street. The lyrics of the song went “Tukdon mein battega Hindustan, Kashmir banega Pakistan” (India will be divided into pieces; Kashmir will become Pakistan), leading to public outrage and the gathering of a crowd outside his salon. Sub-Inspector Pankaj Kilje, who was on patrol in the area, heard the song and identified its source as Ruhaan Hair Cutting Salon, located opposite the temple. Locals apprehended the accused and handed him over to the police, who subsequently examined his mobile phone and found the same objectionable song. Treating the matter as serious due to its impact on national unity and public peace, Naigaon police registered an FIR under Section 197(1)(d) of the Indian Penal Code and arrested the accused. Tension prevailed in the area for a brief period following the incident, but prompt police action brought the situation under control. As of the date of writing this report, a detailed investigation was ongoing.
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 has been added to the tracker because Hindu sentiments were insulted after the Muslim accused, Abdul Rahman Sadruddin Shah, played an anti-India song containing the slogans “Tukdon mein battega Hindustan, Kashmir banega Pakistan” (India will be divided into pieces; Kashmir will become Pakistan). While such slogans may be superficially framed as pro-Pakistan or anti-India, they cannot be viewed in isolation from their ideological context. These slogans not only show pro-Pakistan sentiments but also anti-Hindu sentiments. It is pertinent to note that Muslim extremists harbour specific animosity towards Hindus and their faith and also view India 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. Furthermore, Muslims often believe in transnational unity, or the Ummah, which is the idea that all Muslims worldwide form a nation unto themselves. Therefore, loyalty, as far as the nation-state is concerned, lies with the Muslim collectivity, not with a Hindu collectivity like India. This would also mean that the pro-Pakistan post is about hailing a Muslim collectivity and an expression of transnational loyalty and anti-Hindu sentiments. For that reason, such slogans that express transnational loyalty and call for the disintegration of India are automatically slogans against Hindus and the Hindu collectivity, as they seek the breakup of the Indian nation precisely because of its Hindu civilisational nature. Thus, this case has been added to the hate crime database. Additionally, the location of the act significantly aggravated its communal and ideological nature. The anti-India and pro-Pakistan song was deliberately played near the Hindu temple, a space of religious reverence for Hindus, thereby transforming the incident from a general provocation into a targeted affront to Hindu religious sentiment. Hindu temples are not merely physical structures but sacred spaces symbolising Hindu faith, continuity, and civilisational identity. Playing a slogan advocating the fragmentation of India, and by extension its Hindu civilisational identity, functioned as an act of intimidation and symbolic desecration. In Islamic theology, idol worship, referred to as Shirk, is regarded as the gravest sin, a belief that has historically translated into intolerance towards idol-worshipping religions, particularly Hinduism. When such hostile slogans are broadcast outside a Hindu temple, the act carries a deeper ideological message that goes beyond political dissent and enters the realm of religious hostility. It conveyed contempt for Hindu sacred space and reinforced a pattern wherein anti-India expressions rooted in Islamist ideology also operate as anti-Hindu assertions. The choice of location, therefore, also demonstrated the communal intent of the act and further justified its documentation in the hate crime database.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
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