Hindu religious sentiments insulted after Muslim man posted provocative video targeting Hinduism and Hindu community
Durg, Chhattisgarh, India 
19 February, 2026
Case Summary
In the Bhilai area of Durg district, Chhattisgarh, Hindu religious sentiments were insulted after a Muslim man named Nazrul Khan (48) posted a provocative and religiously offensive video on social media targeting Hinduism and the Hindu community. According to reports, the Muslim accused, Nazrul Khan, posted a video containing derogatory remarks against Hindus and Hinduism. The video reportedly included objectionable expressions such as “saffron terrorism” and incorporated edited footage of an old physical altercation, which was presented in a manner capable of heightening communal tension. Due to the inflammatory language, the video quickly went viral, creating concern about potential disturbance to social harmony and public order. A written complaint was submitted at the Cantonment Police Station by Deepak Kumar Kulkarni, and members of the Chhattisgarh unit of Bajrang Dal also raised objections, stating that the content hurt Hindu religious sentiments and attempted to spread animosity. Acting on the complaint, the police registered a case under Sections 102-2026 and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act and Section 67A of the Information Technology Act. Senior Superintendent of Police Vijay Agarwal directed immediate investigation and action. During the inquiry, technical evidence was collected, witnesses were examined, and the source of the viral video was traced to Nazrul Khan, a resident of Camp 01, Bhilai. Upon questioning, he admitted to circulating the video on social media. The police seized the mobile phone used in the commission of the offence, arrested him, and produced him before a court, which remanded him to judicial custody. According to Bhilai Nagar CSP Satyaprakash Tiwari, the video contained violent and objectionable language, and given the risk to communal harmony, prompt legal action was taken to maintain peace and order. The Durg Police subsequently issued a public advisory urging citizens to refrain from posting inflammatory, misleading, or religiously offensive content online, warning that strict legal consequences would follow such conduct.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case is being added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. 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 exemplifies religiously motivated hate speech, as the Muslim accused, Nazrul Khan, deliberately made derogatory remarks against Hinduism and Hindus on social media. The video he posted contained objectionable language directed at Hindus and Hindu religious beliefs and incorporated edited footage of an earlier physical altercation. By placing such material in the public domain through social media, the accused ensured that the remarks reached a wide audience, thereby magnifying their impact beyond a private exchange and intensifying the potential for unrest. Hinduism stands as one of the world's most prominent faiths, embraced by millions of devotees globally, and denigrating its core beliefs constitutes a direct assault on the collective identity of its followers. Such targeted vilification reveals a malicious purpose to wound the Hindu community profoundly, rendering this a textbook instance of religiously motivated hate speech rooted in anti-Hindu hostility. In addition to denigrating Hinduism as a faith, the accused’s remarks directly targeted Hindus as a community, employing abusive and derogatory language that demeaned their identity and beliefs. By directing hostility at Hindus collectively, the content sought to humiliate, provoke, and marginalise members of the Hindu community in a public digital space. This form of abuse was rooted in religious animosity, and contributes to an atmosphere in which discrimination and animosity against Hindus can become normalised. Furthermore, the most egregious part was the use of the phrase “saffron terrorism” in the circulated content. The term “saffron” is widely associated with Hindu religious symbolism, ascetic traditions, and cultural identity. Employing the phrase “saffron terrorism” in a sweeping or accusatory manner risks portraying an entire religious or cultural community through the lens of extremism and terrorism. Such terminology stigmatises the Hindu community, fostering suspicion, and can lead to normalisation of hostility against them by equating a faith with violence. In a diverse society, the careless or provocative use of such labels has the potential to inflame sentiments and deepen communal fault lines. When such remarks against Hinduism are made on social media, they instantly embolden others to follow suit, sparking a cascade of similar abuses that amplify hatred and animosity towards Hinduism and the Hindu community. This viral contagion normalises derision of sacred Hindu traditions, deities, and practices, drawing in opportunistic trolls who pile on without restraint. The resulting echo chamber entrenches prejudice, portraying Hindus as fair game for mockery and division. Such escalation transforms isolated barbs into widespread hostility, making it a clear case of anti-Hindu aggression designed to erode communal harmony. Social media in general has devolved into a hub of anti-Hindu vitriol, inundated with derogatory memes, comments, and images that relentlessly mock and abuse Hinduism, its deities, and its revered scholars. These coordinated assaults permeate platforms daily, transforming sacred icons into punchlines and caricatures. This pervasive pattern of anti-Hindu hate speech constitutes clear instances of online Hinduphobia, inflicting profound hurt on Hindu sentiments and rendering the community a perpetual target for ridicule and abuse. Since this case meets the parameters of a religiously motivated offence, it is being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records the dates of incidents based on when the crime occurs, not when it is reported by the media. However, in this case, media reports have not stated the exact date when the accused made denigrating remarks against Hinduism. Hence, the date when the media published this report, that is, 20 February 2026, has been selected as the indicative date of the incident. This is documented for record-keeping purposes.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
