Offensive remarks made against Hinduism and Hindu religious symbols in social media post by Muslim youth
Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India 
8 April, 2025
Case Summary
A Muslim youth named Rizwan, the brother of fair price shopkeeper Gufran from the village of Rajapur Sikarour, uploaded an objectionable video on the platform X. In the video, he made derogatory remarks against Hindu religious symbols and beliefs. After the post went viral, the members of the Hindu community were outraged, leading the police to register a case and arrest the accused. Station House Officer of Saraimir, Yadvendra Pandey, stated that a video inciting religious sentiments had surfaced on social media. Upon investigation, it was confirmed that the video had been posted by Rizwan, a resident of Rajapur Sikarour. A case was filed, and the accused was taken into custody.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category- Hate speech against Hindus. The sub-category selected under this 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. Rizwan's derogatory remarks about Hindu religious symbols and Hinduism exemplify deep-rooted religious intolerance, deliberately targeting the sentiments of Hindus. His rhetoric, aimed at belittling Hindu faith and culture, is not only inflammatory but also indicative of a broader agenda of Islamic supremacy. Such remarks fuel hostility and contribute to a climate of religious hatred. This incident is a clear case of religiously motivated hate speech, reflecting his animosity towards Hindus and their beliefs.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
