Son of Muslim politician uses abusive language against Goddess Sita
Budaun, Uttar Pradesh, India 
27 June, 2023
Case Summary
On June 28, Uttar Pradesh Police arrested Abu Talha Pathan, son of former BSP MLA Muslim Khan, from Shekharpur Assembly for spreading religious hatred. He posted an objectionable comment on social media against a Hindu deity, triggering his arrest. The accused, a student in Kota, Rajasthan, engaged in a verbal altercation over religion with a friend named Mayank Raj, leading to the derogatory post. Despite deleting the comment later, screenshots circulated widely, showing abusive language towards Goddess Sita. Several Hindu activists raised their voices against the post after which the police took cognisance of the event and arrested the accused under section 505 (promoting enmity, hatred) of the Income Tax Act and section 67 of the Information Technology Act.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the hate tracker under the prime category of Hate speech against Hindus and the sub-category under which this case has been placed 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 stems out of inherent animosity and hates towards Hindus and their faith, therefore, it is categorised as hate speech targeted at Hindus specifically owing to their religious identity. Here, Abu Talha, the son of a former BSP MLA from Uttar Pradesh used abusive language against Goddess Sita on social media. His derogatory comments not only display a blatant disrespect for one of Hinduism's most revered deities but also reflect a broader pattern of hostility toward Hindu beliefs and practices. By targeting Goddess Sita, who symbolizes virtue, fidelity, and strength in Hindu culture, Talha's remarks undermine the deep cultural and religious significance associated with her figure. Such actions are often motivated by an animosity toward Hinduism, aiming to provoke and insult the sentiments of the Hindu community. The deliberate choice to use offensive language against a central figure in Hindu mythology underscores the religiously motivated nature of this attack, revealing an intent to demean and belittle the Hindu faith and its followers. This makes this case worthy of being added to the hate tracker.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
