Attack on Hindu sentiments: Islamic flag hoisted on the premises of Hindu temple, temple walls defaced with Islamic words

Case ID : e27493e | Location : Sitamarhi, Bihar, India | Date of Incident : Fri, 20 June, 2025
Case ID : e27493e
location Sitamarhi, Bihar, India
date 20 June, 2025
Attack on Hindu sentiments: Islamic flag hoisted on the premises of Hindu temple, temple walls defaced with Islamic words
Attack on Hindu religious representations
Desecration of Hindu religious symbol
Breaking rules of place of worship
Attack on Temples

Case Summary

In Akhta Bajpai Tola, located in the Supi block of Sitamarhi district, Bihar, the wall of a Hindu temple was defaced with Islamic inscriptions, and an Islamic flag was hoisted on the temple premises by unidentified individuals. This act sparked religious tensions in the area. According to media reports, the incident led to heightened tension between the Hindu and Muslim communities in the village. The perpetrators hoisted the Islamic flag on the temple grounds and inscribed 'Allah 786' on the temple walls. The Hindu residents expressed strong outrage over the incident. Upon receiving information, the district administration responded promptly. Following instructions from the District Magistrate (DM), police and administrative officials arrived at the scene. To address the situation, officials facilitated discussions between prominent members of both the Hindu and Muslim communities. Efforts were made to ease tensions through dialogue at the community level. Subsequently, the police launched an investigation and reviewed the CCTV footage and other evidence to identify those responsible. The local Hindu residents emphasised that the temple is a symbol of the village’s cultural and religious identity, and condemned the act as reprehensible. The administration appealed to the public to maintain peace and refrain from believing in rumours, assuring that strict action would be taken against the culprits. A police force was deployed in the area to prevent any further disturbances. Due to the swift response by the administration, the situation was under control.

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Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Desecration of Hindu religious symbol. Icons and symbols or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal are widely revered in Hinduism. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations, is driven by animosity towards the faith itself which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. The other subcategory selected is- Breaking rules of place of worship. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. One of these oral traditions or written traditions is the rules of specific temples. Certain temples have rules which are traditional rules, dependent on the worship of the presiding deities. These rules and traditions have been followed for thousands of years whether they find scriptural mention or not. Such traditions are based on the nature and rules of worship of the presiding deity of that temple. Any non-compliance of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the presiding deity but also disregard for the faith of the devotees of that deity/temple and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition and the deity itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific temple and presiding deity, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. The other subcategory selected is- Attack on temples. In Hinduism, a temple is the abode of the Deity. The Deity in the Temple is consecrated, thereby, making it a real, breathing entity. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the temple premises itself are sacred to Hindus since Hindus hold the faith that the entire Temple space is an amalgamation of the divine energy of the deity. Given the central significance of Temples in Hindu Dharma, any attack against a Hindu Temple or its peripheral premises is an attack on the faith itself and is born out of animosity towards the faith, of which, the Temple is a central tenet. Any manner of attack against a Temple and/or its premises would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. This case is being added to the hate crime database, as the perpetrators deliberately targeted the Hindu temple by hoisting Islamic flags on its premises and defacing the temple walls with Islamic inscriptions such as 'Allah 786'. These actions were clearly intended to desecrate the sanctity of the temple and offend the religious sentiments of Hindus. Hindu temples are regarded as sacred spaces where the presence of the deity is central to worship and spiritual practice. Any action that disrupts or alters the sanctity of the temple premises without adherence to its traditions constitutes an act of hostility towards the Hindu faith. The deliberate hoisting of the flag within the temple compound and the writing of Islamic words on the walls, which led to religious tension, indicate a profound lack of respect for the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. Such actions amount to iconoclastic provocation and form part of a broader pattern in which acts of desecration are used to assert dominance or provoke religious sentiments. They deeply hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community and disturb communal peace. Moreover, such actions are a violation of the sanctity of the temple, making it a kind of religious harassment worthy of being listed in the hate tracker. Since the last update, the perpetrators remain unidentified. However, this does not diminish the deliberate nature of the attempt to desecrate the sanctity of the Hindu temple. Even though the perpetrators were unknown, the act was motivated by animosity towards the Hindu community and their temples, making its inclusion in the tracker fully justified.

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Case Status


Complaint registered

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Perpetrators Details

Perpetrators


Unknown

Perpetrators Range


Unknown

Perpetrators Gender


unknown

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