Muslim man offers namaz inside Brahmadev temple, Uttar Pradesh
Budaun, Uttar Pradesh, India 
27 June, 2025
Case Summary
In the Budaun district of Uttar Pradesh, a 60-year-old Muslim man named Ali Mohammad offered namaz inside the Brahmadev temple. Local residents shared the video with Head Constable Surendra Kumar during a routine police patrol. Following this revelation, tension spread in the surrounding area, and public anger was reported. Representatives of Hindu groups submitted demands for a thorough and impartial investigation into the matter. The police registered a case against Ali Mohammad under relevant sections and subsequently arrested him. Authorities confirmed that Ali Mohammad is a resident of Papad village and has been engaged in cleaning and maintenance work at the Brahmadev temple for the past thirty years. At the time of writing this report, the matter was under investigation.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of: - Attack on Hindu religious representations. Within it, the sub-category selected is: - Breaking rules of places 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 sub-category relevant here is: - Defiling religious customs. 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. There are several such customs and traditions that are followed by various Hindus and Hindu sects. Defiling of these traditions and customs is a breach of an individual or group’s religious practices. Such practices can range from dietary restrictions like not eating non-vegetarian food for a certain period of the year, not eating non-vegetarian food at all, not eating beef since the cow is considered holy in Hinduism, the sanctity of religious customs followed in the house (like many ISCKON devotees), etc. Any malicious action leading to the breach of such traditions or defilement 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 religion itself but also from disregard for the faith of the devotees who follow the customs/traditions and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific sect of Hindus, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. This case has been added to the tracker because a Muslim man, Ali Mohammad, offered namaz inside the Brahmadev temple in Budaun district, Uttar Pradesh. The Brahmadev temple is a sacred Hindu site, and offering non-Hindu prayers within its sanctum is a direct violation of the religious and ritual purity of the space. Such an act is not merely inappropriate but is perceived as an intentional affront to Hindu sentiments and traditions. Ali Mohammad was not an outsider unfamiliar with the temple's sanctity. He had been working there for thirty years in a cleaning and maintenance role. This makes it highly unlikely that he was unaware of the religious sensitivities associated with performing Islamic rituals inside the temple. His long-standing association with the temple rules out ignorance and strongly points towards a deliberate act, done with full knowledge of the temple’s religious significance. Offering Namaz at such a sacred place is a calculated attempt at provoking Hindu religious sentiments and a violation of the temple's sanctity. It wasn't an act of ignorance on the part of the Muslim man, but an intentional act of defilement of the temple traditions, done with full knowledge of the religious sensitivities and restrictions at that place. The intent behind this act seems malicious from the outset. This incident aligns with a pattern where Muslims tend to enter Hindu religious spaces to carry out actions that are meant to insult, undermine, or challenge Hindu customs. Such repeated and targeted violations indicate not ignorance, but an ideological motive rooted in religious animosity. Therefore, this case has been added to the tracker. Disclaimer: It is important to clarify that the report does not mention the exact date when Ali Mohammad offered namaz inside the Brahmadev temple. However, according to local sources, the video showing the act is estimated to be three to four months old as of 28 June 2025, when it was brought to the attention of the police. Since this is the earliest date mentioned, we are considering this as the incident date.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
