Hindu deities targeted and denigrated on social media by Muslim man in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Malihabad, Uttar Pradesh, India 
12 January, 2026
Case Summary
In Rahimabad town of Malihabad, Uttar Pradesh, Hindu religious sentiments were insulted after derogatory comments were made against Hindu deities by a Muslim man named Anwar Baig. The complaint was filed by Suraj Akvanshi, District Security Chief of Bajrang Dal, who stated that the accused, Anwar Baig, had posted objectionable, indecent, and derogatory remarks about Hindu gods on his Facebook account. The content was described as deeply offensive to Hindu religious sentiments and was posted with the intent of disturbing communal harmony and creating tensions in the area. Subsequently, acting on the complaint, the police registered a case and took the accused into custody for further legal proceedings. As of the date of writing this report, the investigation was ongoing. VHP and Bajrang Dal representatives demanded strict legal action under stringent provisions to deter similar incidents in the future and to safeguard social peace.
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 blatant religiously motivated hate crime driven by deep-seated animosity against Hindus, as the Muslim accused, Anwar Baig, deliberately targeted sacred Hindu gods and goddesses with derogatory remarks on social media, inflicting profound emotional pain on the Hindu community, who hold these deities as inviolable symbols of their faith and devotion. For Hindus, their deities stand central to the religion and command profound reverence. Any attempt to mock or abuse them reflects outright religious animosity towards Hinduism. In this case, the derogatory comments mounted a direct assault on the sanctity of the Hindu faith. This stood not as a spontaneous or misguided act, but as a calculated and premeditated effort to denigrate Hinduism and the wider Hindu community. Such actions are not isolated instances; rather, they belong to a persistent pattern aimed at disrespecting the Hindu faith, propelled by entrenched hostility and contempt for Hindus and their beliefs. Acts of this nature qualify as hate speech because they extend far beyond legitimate criticism or debate, seeking instead to demean a religious group and its sacred symbols. The abuse and denigration of Hindu deities arose from deep-rooted religious animosity towards Hindus and their faith, making it a religiously motivated offence. 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 deities. Such content is recognised as part of a broader pattern of Hinduphobia and religious hate crimes online. This deliberate targeting of revered religious icons firmly establishes this act as a religiously motivated hate crime; therefore, it is being categorised under the hate crime database. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records incident dates based on when a crime occurs, rather than when media outlets report it. However, in this case, media reports did not state the exact date when Anwar Baig made those derogatory remarks against Hindu deities. Therefore, the date when the complaint was filed, 13 January 2026, is selected as the indicative incident date for documentation purposes only.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
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