Case Summary

A fake news targeting Hindu devotees participating in the Kanwar Yatra, a sacred Hindu pilgrimage, was posted on X by a X news handle named 'Khabar Fast'. The Kanwar Yatra is an annual Hindu pilgrimage during which devotees of Lord Shiva, known as Kanwariyas, travel to holy sites such as Haridwar, Gaumukh, and Gangotri in Uttarakhand to collect sacred water from the Ganga river, which they then offer to Lord Shiva at local Hindu temples. This tradition is highly revered among Hindus. As per reports, the 'Khabar Fast' handle spread misinformation by posting a few old photographs and falsely claiming that Kanwariyas (Hindu participants at Kanwar Yatra) had caused violence from Muzaffarnagar to Roorkee during the yatra. In response to this, the police authorities confirmed that no such incidents occurred. They also stated that the photographs were from 2024, and action had already been taken against those involved at that time. Following this, the Muzaffarnagar Police registered an FIR against the X handle for disseminating false information about the Kanwar Yatra on social media. The police stated that the Kanwar Yatra had commenced in western Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, and to maintain peace and prevent the spread of rumours, four new social media monitoring cells were set up in the district to monitor platforms like X, Facebook, and Instagram. A case was registered at Cyber Police Station, Muzaffarnagar, and the police informed the headquarters in Lucknow to block the identified handle. They also warned that strict action would be taken against anyone spreading rumours or misleading news on social media, and the offenders would not be spared.

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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 subversion and prejudice. Within this, the tertiary category selected is- Anti-Hindu Fake News or Downplaying. Hate speech is defined as any speech, gesture, conduct, writing, or display that is prejudicial against a specific individual and/or group of people, which is leading to or may lead to violence, prejudicial action or hate against that individual and/or group. Media plays a specific and overarching reach in perpetuating prejudicial attitudes towards a community owing to unfair, untrue coverage and/or misrepresentation/misinterpretation, selective coverage and/or omission of facts of/pertaining to issues affecting a specific religious group. This type of bias can dehumanise the victim group, making it easier for others to justify harmful actions against them, which aligns with the objectives of hate speech laws aimed at preventing such harm. It is often observed that the media takes a prejudicial stand against the Hindu community driven by their need to shield the aggressor community which happens to be a numeric minority, however, is the one perpetrating violence against Hindus. For example, the media is often quick to contextualise religiously motivated crimes against Hindus, omit or misrepresent facts that point towards religiously motivated hate crimes, justify and/or downplay religiously motivated hate crimes or simply present fake news to stereotype Hindus. Such media bias leads to the denial of persecution and is often used to dehumanise Hindus, leading to justification for violence against them. For example, the media covered several fake allegations of Hindus targeting Muslims and forcing them to chant Jai Shree Ram. Most of these cases were proved false and fabricated after police investigation. These fake news reports were subsequently never retracted or clarified. Such fake news led to the justification of violence and dehumanisation of Hindus based on the argument that since Hindus targeted Muslims and forced them to chant Jai Shree Ram, the dehumanisation of Hindus and violence against them was par for the course and merely a retaliation. Such media bias leads to prejudicial portrayal of Hindus and offers a justification for violence against them and therefore, is considered hate speech under this category. The incident involving an X news handle falsely portraying Hindu devotees as engaging in violence during the 2025 Kanwar Yatra, using images from 2024, constituted a serious act of hate speech that targeted both the Hindu community and their revered religious tradition, the Kanwar Yatra. By circulating old images with false information, which wrongly painted Kanwariyas (devotees of the Kanwar Yatra) as aggressors, the X handle went beyond simple misinformation. It deliberately framed a peaceful, devout group as perpetrators of unrest. This narrative deeply stigmatised Hindus who were participating in an act of spiritual penance. The Kanwar Yatra holds immense spiritual and cultural importance for Hindus across India. For centuries, it has been observed as a journey of devotion, discipline, and unity. Each year, several Hindu devotees take part in this pilgrimage in which they collect sacred water from the river Ganga and offer it to Lord Shiva. The tradition is steeped in principles of self-restraint, humility, and community service, rather than violence, as portrayed by the accused X account. By misrepresenting Hindu devotees as violent, the X account not only undermined the sanctity of the Kanwar Yatra but also contributed to the dangerous reinforcement of negative stereotypes against the Hindu community and the Kanwar Yatra. Such deliberate misinformation sows mistrust and fuels societal divisions by vilifying an entire group based on their religious identity. When a long-standing, spiritual tradition is falsely depicted as a source of conflict, it incites religious tensions, prejudice and hostility targeting the Hindu community. This further makes the entire Hindu community, their beliefs, practices, and symbols, vulnerable to discrimination, marginalisation, and even violence. The deliberate targeting of the Kanwar Yatra through fabricated reporting amounts to a direct attack on the religious sentiments of Hindus and the dignity of Kanwariyas. Such actions are a result of deep-seated prejudice and hostility towards Hindus and their faith. Given its nature and intent, this incident qualifies as religiously motivated hate speech and is being added to the hate crime database.