Hindu religious sentiments mocked: Muslim man makes derogatory remarks on Hindu deities on social media
Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, India 
22 June, 2025
Case Summary
In Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim man named Sohail Ali posted derogatory and offensive remarks about Hindu deities on social media. Reports suggest that the accused, Sohail, had made several offensive and indecent comments about Hindu deities, particularly targeting Lord Ram, which deeply offended the Hindu community and hurt their religious sentiments. Hindu organisations took notice of such remarks and responded promptly by filing a police complaint at the Ramkola police station. The initial complaint was raised by Bajrang Dal city coordinator, Abhijeet Sanatani, on 23rd June 2025. Following this, Bajrang Dal members submitted a written complaint at the Ramkola police station, prompting swift action from the police authorities. Following this, the police registered a case against Sohail and immediately launched an investigation into this matter. Sohail Ali was subsequently arrested. The Kushinagar police stated that appropriate legal action had been taken and that the accused was in police custody.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Hate Speech against Hindus. Within this, 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 incident constitutes hate speech against Hindus by the Muslim perpetrator, as it involves deliberate and public expressions intended to insult and provoke the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. The derogatory comments made against Hindu deities, particularly Lord Ram, were designed to undermine Hindu beliefs, making it a religiously motivated hate speech against Hindus and their faith. Hindu deities are central to the Hindu faith, and particularly Lord Ram is one of the most revered deities in Hinduism. Hindus hold their deities in high regard, and any attempt to mock or insult them stems from religious animosity towards Hinduism. In this instance, the derogatory comments made by the Muslim perpetrator were a direct attack on the sanctity of the Hindu faith. It was not a random or misguided act, but a calculated and premeditated effort to undermine Hinduism and the broader Hindu society. Such actions are not isolated instances; rather, they are part of a pattern of behaviour aimed at disrespecting the Hindu faith, motivated by deep-rooted hostility and disdain for Hindus and their beliefs. Acts like this are considered hate speech because they go beyond the realm of criticism or debates, seeking instead to denigrate a religious group and its revered deities. Instances of denigrating and abusing Hindu deities arise from entrenched religious animosity towards Hindus and their faith. 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 forms part of a broader pattern of Hinduphobia and religious hate speech online. In this case, the deliberate targeting and denigrating of revered Hindu deities by the Muslim perpetrator firmly establishes this act as religiously motivated hate speech, and it is therefore categorised under the hate crime database.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
