Political party puts up poster mocking temple worship ahead of Ayodhya's Pran Pratistha
Patna, Bihar, India 
31 December, 2023
Case Summary
Days before the Pran Pratishtha in Ram Mandir, Ayodhya, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) displayed a poster outside the residence of Lalu-Rabri and Tejaswi Yadav in Patna. The poster mocked Hindu faith, criticised temple worship, and labelled it as a path to mental enslavement. The poster featured images of Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi Yadav alongside prominent figures such as Buddha, Ashoka and Savitri Bai Phule. It suggests that temple bells signify superstition and ignorance, while school bells represent rational knowledge and scientific enlightenment. The controversial poster was reportedly put up by RJD MLA Fateh Bahadur Singh Kushwaha, known for making disparaging remarks about Hindu deities.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the hate tracker under the prime category- Hate speech against Hindus. The sub-category selected under the abovementioned category 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. The poster displayed by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) days before the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya exemplifies a clear case of mocking the Hindu faith, driven by religious animosity. By labeling temple worship as a "path to mental enslavement" and suggesting that temple bells symbolize superstition while school bells signify rational knowledge, the RJD not only disrespects the deeply held beliefs of millions of Hindus but also attempts to undermine the cultural significance of temple practices. The involvement of RJD MLA Fateh Bahadur Singh Kushwaha, known for his disparaging remarks about Hindu deities, reinforces the intent to provoke and insult the Hindu community. This deliberate act of mockery highlights a broader pattern of religious animosity, aimed at undermining the values and practices of the Hindu faith, and constitutes a clear instance of religiously motivated hate.
Case Status
Complaint not filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
