Holi festival targeted with derogatory remarks by Ambedkarite man on social media
India 
3 March, 2026
Case Summary
A derogatory remark targeting Holi, a revered Hindu festival, was made by an Ambedkarite man on social media. The accused made an offensive comment against Holi, which resulted in outrage from the Hindu community. According to reports, this incident came to light on 4 March 2026 when the accused's video went viral on social media platforms. In the video, the accused wore police attire, and a woman stood beside him holding Dr B.R. Ambedkar's photo. The Ambedkarite man then made an objectionable remark against Holi by saying, "Holi gayi bhaad mein, hum to 14 April manayenge apne andaaz mein," meaning "Holi be damned, we will celebrate 14 April in our own style." Notably, his reference to 14 April refers to the day when Ambedkar Jayanti is celebrated, the birth anniversary of Dr B.R. Ambedkar. This video went viral on different social media handles, one of which was Treeni on X. Treeni posted the video of the accused and wrote: "How can a common General Caste/Hindu expect neutrality from the Republic/Police when their ideology has become such? With police too on their (Ambedkarite) side, what options do you have?" Even journalist Dharmendra Mishra shared the accused's video on his Instagram and wrote: "Common citizens are living in fear due to false cases, false FIRs, and false affidavits. But what if those in uniform use abusive language during Hindu festivals? What message does the reel of a constable in Mainpuri using abusive language against the Hindu religion and culture send?" He further wrote: "Everyone should be equally afraid of the law, whether ordinary people or those in uniform. Strict action should be taken against such elements immediately."
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case is being 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. This case stood as a clear instance of religiously motivated hate speech, as the Ambedkarite man made derogatory remarks against Holi, a sacred Hindu religious festival. His abusive dismissal of Holi as worthless while elevating Ambedkar Jayanti made it a blatant case of anti-Hindu hate speech. The deliberate targeting of a cherished Hindu celebration revealed profound contempt for Hindu faith and identity. Holi carries deep religious significance for Hindus worldwide, symbolising the eternal triumph of good over evil through Prahlad's unwavering devotion to Lord Vishnu and the demoness Holika's destruction in sacred flames. Families light bonfires during Holika Dahan and immerse themselves in vibrant colours, renewing bonds of love, forgiveness, and springtime hope rooted in ancient Puranic texts like the Bhagavata Purana. Therefore, any act of making derogatory remarks against Holi constitutes a direct affront to Hindu sentiments, wounding the collective spirit of millions who hold this festival as central to their spiritual heritage. Such insults transform joyous devotion into pain, marking this as unequivocally religiously motivated hate speech. The accused stated, "Holi gayi bhaad mein, hum to 14 April manayenge apne andaaz mein," brazenly damning Holi while prioritising Ambedkar Jayanti. This amounted to a clear case of religiously motivated hate speech aimed at hurting the sentiments of the Hindu community, exposing raw anti-Hindu animosity. Dressed in a police uniform with an Ambedkar portrait beside him, he weaponised his authority to mock Hindu traditions during their sacred festivities. Hindus felt this betrayal deeply, as it struck at the heart of their innocent celebrations. Furthermore, in this instance, his glorification of Ambedkar Jayanti showcased his ideological hostility towards Hinduism. This made the religious motivation of the crime even clearer, because Ambedkarism as a political ideology has always proven to be anti-Hindu. Ambedkarites have a history of abusing Hindu deities, targeting the Hindu community in general, irrespective of caste, denigrating Hindu scriptures, attempting to desecrate Hindu temples, and threatening to kill Hindus, all under the garb of 'fighting casteism'. The Hinduphobia Tracker has previously documented several instances of Ambedkarites denigrating and maligning Hindus and the Hindu community, driven by their ideological hostility. For example, in March 2026, Hindus were targeted with derogatory remarks by an Indian politician named Sunil Astay, an Ambedkarite and member of the anti-Hindu organisation Bhim Army. He raised violent slogans targeting "Manuvadis" (Hindus) at a public gathering, employing rhetoric that invoked violence and humiliation. In October 2025, violent rape and murder threats were issued to Hindu Brahmin women on social media by an Ambedkarite. The accused specifically targeted Hindu Brahmin women with these threats and celebrated the brutal gang rape and murder of Girija Tickoo, a Kashmiri Pandit woman. Similarly, in October 2025, an Ambedkarite woman made an anti-Hindu social media post targeting the Brahmin community, denying the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits, and mocking the film The Kerala Story, a movie portraying religiously motivated hate crimes committed against Hindu women in interfaith relationships by Muslim men. In October 2025, the Hindu community received violent threats from an Ambedkarite named Prakash Chandra Gautam. The Ambedkarite leader stated that if his government came to power, he would kill Kanwariyas, Hindu devotees who participate in the Kanwar Yatra, a sacred Hindu pilgrimage. Likewise, in this case, the accused's allegiance to this ideology lays bare the religious hostility fuelling his speech, as it thrives on mocking and denigrating Hinduism and the Hindu community, making it a clear instance of religiously motivated hate speech. Therefore, this case is being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker. Disclaimer: In this case, the Hinduphobia Tracker recorded the perpetrator count as two, referring to both the Ambedkarite man and the woman standing next to him. She demonstrated her support by appearing in the video where he made derogatory remarks against Holi while holding Dr B.R. Ambedkar's photo. Therefore, the perpetrator count was recorded as two. The Hinduphobia Tracker records the date of an incident based on when the crime occurs, rather than when it is reported on mainstream media or social media. However, in this case, since available information does not state the exact date when the perpetrator made these derogatory remarks, the date when the video first appeared on social media, 4 March 2026, is selected as the indicative incident date. This is recorded for documentation purposes only.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
