Hate Speech against Hindu faith: Indian politician makes obscene remarks against Hindu deities
Rohtas, Bihar, India 
26 October, 2023
Case Summary
In Rohtas, Bihar, several obscene and derogatory remarks targeting Goddess Durga and Lord Shiva, two revered Hindu deities, were made by Rashtriya Janata Dal MLA Fateh Bahadur Singh. According to media reports, on 27th October 2023, a video of Singh went viral on social media, in which he launched a bizarre rant against the Hindu goddess Durga. In his contentious statements, Singh said that Lord Shiva created Durga, making her his daughter, and then married her. This sparked outrage among Hindus, who protested against Singh’s derogatory remarks towards Hindu gods. Singh further questioned where the goddess was during the British colonial atrocities. During a non-religious programme that was held during the time of the Navratri festival, a 9-day festival associated with the worship of Goddess Durga, Singh raised objectionable questions about various deities, which led to fierce controversy. He described goddess Durga as an invention by another god and repeated these statements when challenged. Singh declared, "Durga is an imaginary character of an imaginary story. I would have believed it otherwise, but I have proof against it. According to Manuwadis, referring to Hindus, in our country, there are thirty-three crore deities. Yet, India was enslaved when the British came to power. At that time, there were thirty crore Indians and thirty-three crore deities." He added, "I want to ask those Manuwadis who wrote that Maa Durga fought and killed Mahishasur, what she was doing when the British enslaved our nation. She had many arms and weapons—so why did she not defeat the British government then?" Singh also questioned the birth of goddess Durga and her vermilion (Sindoor). He challenged the location where Durga killed Mahishasur, saying, "All gods came together but did not kill Mahishasur; they had him murdered through Durga. Mahishasur was a powerful king from the Yadav community. Our hero was made a villain. I consider all my ancestors as heroes." He further stated, "Manuwadis say Durga was created by all the gods and is their daughter. Yet, they also say Durga is the wife of Lord Shiva, one of the gods who created her. So, Shiva married his own daughter. And why did Durga fight Mahishasur only at night? Why would she go there at night?" Following these obscene remarks from Singh, a fierce protest took place in Rohtas, where Hindu organisations demonstrated in the streets demanding a public apology from Singh. After the video’s circulation, members of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Bajrang Dal in Dehri protested angrily and burnt an effigy of the MLA. Even a formal complaint was submitted at Dehri Nagar police station, seeking registration of a First Information Report against Fateh Bahadur Singh. Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vijay Kumar Sinha condemned Singh’s remarks, saying, "Rashtriya Janata Dal leaders continuously insult Sanatan Dharma. Their leaders, at times, question the existence of God. What kind of language is this to hurt the children of Mother India? Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav must state if they believe in Sanatan Dharma or not."
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 case represents a clear instance of religiously motivated hate speech against Hindus and their faith. Hindu deities are deeply revered in Hinduism and are worshipped with the highest respect and devotion. Among these, Goddess Durga and Lord Shiva hold a supreme position in the Hindu pantheon. Goddess Durga is especially venerated during the holy days of Navratri, a festival marking her victory over the demon Mahishasura. The perpetrator’s act of insulting Goddess Durga—starting by mocking her as an imaginary character and dismissing her story as fictitious—caused grievous hurt to Hindu religious sentiments. This was not a neutral or philosophical critique; it was a deliberate attempt to provoke and insult the Hindu faith, clearly demonstrating deep-seated religious animosity. The perpetrator also used the term "Manuwadis" to describe Hindus, labelling them as oppressive and casteist, a term often employed by leftist groups. He ridiculed the belief in the 33 crore Hindu deities and questioned why Goddess Durga did not fight the British colonisers if she were truly powerful. This mockery is not only disrespectful but also reveals profound religious hostility towards Hindu beliefs. Further, the perpetrator made an obscene remark by claiming that Mahishasura was a powerful king from the Yadav community, whom he regarded as a hero, while accusing Hindus of unfairly villainising him. He claimed to consider all his ancestors as heroes, thereby attempting to demean the Hindu faith and its sacred beliefs. In addition, he made a deeply offensive statement about Lord Shiva and Goddess Durga by saying that Durga was created by all the gods, including Shiva, and that Shiva then married his own daughter, Durga. This reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of Hindu philosophy, where Durga is not created or born but is the divine energy manifesting from the gods. This crude and incestuous insinuation illustrates intense hatred towards the Hindu faith and the Hindu community. Moreover, the perpetrator also raised a derogatory comment questioning why Durga fought Mahishasura only at night, aiming to demean her character and the symbolic narrative of her victory. Such vile statements demonstrate a sustained campaign of hatred against Hinduism and its deities, making it an instance of anti-Hindu speech. Another important point is that these offensive remarks were made during Navratri, a deeply sacred and auspicious festival in Hinduism dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga. The fact that the perpetrator chose this period to make such derogatory and provocative statements reveals a deliberate intent to inflame and wound the religious sentiments of Hindus during one of the most sacred and significant moments in their faith. This timing further underscores the calculated and hostile nature of the hate speech. Given that this case distinctly involves hate speech targeting revered Hindu deities and faith, it is being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
