Deliberate targeting of Hindu faith: Muslim man abuses Lord Ram, asks Hindu girl to worship Allah
Khargone, Madhya Pradesh, India 
1 January, 2024
Case Summary
In Keli village, located in the Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh, derogatory remarks targeting Lord Ram, one of the revered Hindu deities, were made on social media by a Muslim man. According to media reports, on 3rd January 2024, the Madhya Pradesh Police arrested Faizan Lala, son of Nizam Lala, for insulting Lord Ram on social media. Faizan posted a derogatory photo of Lord Ram and made abusive comments about the Hindu deity on 2nd January 2024. The post quickly went viral and hurt the religious sentiments of many Hindus. Police took action following a complaint filed by Ashwini Thakur, the Sarpanch (village head) of Keli village, who raised objections to the anti-Hindu post. The complainant stated that Faizan, in the comment section, asked a Hindu girl on Instagram to leave Hinduism and worship Allah instead. The girl responded that she was a committed Hindu, after which Faizan used derogatory language towards Lord Ram. Several Hindu residents of the village protested against the post, expressing that their religious sentiments had been deeply hurt. A crowd gathered at the local police station demanding strict action, stating that individuals, especially from specific communities, should refrain from such offensive behaviour. The police filed a case under Section 295 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) based on the complaint by Sarpanch Ashwini Thakur, and Faizan Lala was arrested.
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. Another primary category selected is- Predatory Proselytisation. The subcategory selected is- Attempting to convert/converting by denigrating Hinduism. In several cases, Hindus are converted or an attempt is made to convert Hindus by denigrating their faith, Hinduism. In such cases, the Hindus associate with the non-Hindu perpetrators often by choice and then, the attempt to convert them by insulting their faith, showing the faith down etc begins. An example of this would be a non-Hindu gathering where the Hindus are attending the gathering of their own free will. However, once they attend the gathering, there is an explicit attempt to convert them by abusing their faith and hailing the faith of the perpetrator. The denigration of the Hindu faith is often based on misrepresentation of the Hindu faith, its doctrine and scriptures and insult to espoused traditions if not blatant lies about Hindu beliefs and ways. Such conversions or attempts at conversions are driven by animosity towards the Hindu faith and are therefore documented as religiously motivated hate crimes. This incident constitutes hate speech against Hindus by the Muslim perpetrator, as it involves deliberate and public expressions intended to insult and provoke the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. The derogatory comment made against Lord Ram was designed to abuse and hurt the Hindus and their core Hindu beliefs. Hindu deities are central to the Hindu religion, and Lord Ram is one of the most revered figures in Hinduism. Any attempt to mock or insult such a deity stems from religious animosity towards Hinduism. In this instance, the derogatory comment was a direct attack on the sanctity of the Hindu faith. It was not a random or misguided act, but a calculated and premeditated effort to undermine Hinduism and the broader Hindu society. Such actions are not isolated; they are part of a pattern of behaviour aimed at disrespecting and diminishing the Hindu faith, motivated by deep-rooted hostility and disdain for Hindus and their beliefs. Acts like this are considered hate speech because they go beyond the realm of criticism or debates, seeking instead to denigrate a religious group and its revered deities. Instances of denigrating and abusing Hindu deities arise from entrenched religious animosity towards Hindus and their faith. Furthermore, the Muslim perpetrator did not stop at abusing Lord Ram but also directed statements at a Hindu girl, urging her to forsake her faith and worship Allah instead. This is not merely an act of abuse but a deliberate attempt to denigrate the girl and to proselytise—that is, to convert her by disparaging her religion while promoting another. Such covert and overt proselytisation through the denigration of Hindu deities exposes a deep-rooted religious hostility. This attitude seeks to undermine Hindu identity and faith, aiming to strip individuals of their religious beliefs. This deliberate targeting of both sacred faith and vulnerable individuals categorises this act as a religiously motivated crime rooted in hate. In recent times, social media has increasingly become a platform for anti-Hindu hate, with derogatory memes, videos, and messages targeting Hindu religious symbols, practices, and deities. Such content forms part of a broader pattern of Hinduphobia and religious hate speech online. The deliberate targeting of revered religious figures in this manner firmly establishes this act as religiously motivated hate speech, and it is therefore categorised under the hate crime database.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 0
- Female 1
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 1
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 0
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 1
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
