TMC leader Satabdi Roy says Ram must be below poverty line in an attempt to mock Ram Mandir construction
West Bengal, India 
11 January, 2024
Case Summary
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Satabdi Roy sparked controversy by referring to Lord Ram as "Below Poverty Line (BPL)" in a video circulating on social media. She criticised the BJP for claiming to provide a house for Ram, suggesting sarcastically that Ram must be considered impoverished if BJP is offering him a house. This drew strong reactions from BJP leaders, who accused TMC of disrespecting Hindu beliefs. This incident is not isolated, as earlier in November 2020, another TMC figure was caught on video telling Hindus not to chant "Jai Shree Ram" in West Bengal.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the hate tracker under the prime category of 'Hate speech against Hindus'. Further, the sub-category selected here 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. This case, where Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Satabdi Roy referred to Lord Ram as "Below Poverty Line (BPL)" in a video, is a clear example of mocking Hindu faith stemming from religious animosity. By sarcastically suggesting that Lord Ram, a revered deity in Hinduism, is impoverished, the TMC leader not only undermined the sanctity of Lord Ram but also displayed a profound disrespect for the religious sentiments of Hindus. This mockery aligns with a broader trend of disparaging Hindu beliefs, evidenced by several incidents where TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee along with her party leaders and cadres have been seen going to the extent of slapping, getting people arrested and resorting to violence for chanting the 'Jai Shri Ram' slogan in West Bengal. In January 2021, Mamata Banerjee was seen walking out of the stage refusing to address the public gathered at Kolkata’s Victoria Memorial for Netaji birth anniversary celebrations, when she heard ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans. Likewise, in 2019, Mamata Banerjee took to social networking site Facebook to let the world know that she will continue to oppose ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans as they are a deliberate attempt ‘to sell hatred ideology’. Such recurring derogatory statements made by TMC figures reveal a consistent disregard for Hindu cultural and religious values. In fact, this behaviour underscores a deliberate effort to belittle and disrespect the Hindu faith, highlighting the religiously motivated nature of these actions and as such this incident is being categorised as a religiously motivated hate crime against Hindus.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
female
Sources 
