Hindu religious sentiments insulted, Muslim restaurateur uses napkins printed with images of Hindu deities
Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India 
13 April, 2025
Case Summary
In Aligarh, Khwaja Hotel came under fire for distributing napkins bearing images of Hindu deities, which customers used to wipe their hands after meals. The hotel, situated near Subhash Chowk in the Ghantaghar area of Atrauli, served a large clientele and primarily offered non-vegetarian dishes. The Muslim restaurateur was arrested on the charge of keeping napkins and tissue papers on which the pictures of Hindu gods and goddesses were printed The use of these deity-printed napkins led to the desecration of sacred images, as they were discarded after being used post-meals. Upon learning of the incident, members of the Bajrang Dal visited the hotel and witnessed patrons wiping their hands with the offensive napkins after eating non-vegetarian food. The sight sparked outrage, drawing a crowd in protest over what was perceived as a deliberate affront to their religious sentiments. Police quickly reached the scene and detained the hotel operator, Salim. He was brought before a magistrate and later released on bail. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine how the napkins were procured and allowed to be used at the establishment.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. The sub-category relevant in this case is- Desecration of Hindu religious symbols. Icons and symbols or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal are widely revered in Hinduism. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations, is driven by animosity towards the faith itself which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. The other sub-category relevant in this case is- Iconoclastic representation of Hindu Gods/Goddesses. An icon is a symbol of someone or something that is revered, or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Any iconoclastic representation of these symbols, images and murtis is an affront to the religious beliefs and faith of the Hindu community itself since the symbols and icons are deeply religious in nature. In this sub-category of crime, we would record hate crimes and iconoclastic representations, in words, art, or any other form of representations of symbols that hold religious significance for the Hindu community. Since these symbols, icons and murtis are central to the Hindu faith, any iconoclastic representation of these symbols is born out of animosity towards the faith itself, manifesting itself through these symbols, and therefore, these representations would be considered religiously motivated hate crimes. This incident constituted a hate crime because it involved the desecration of Hindu religious symbols in a deliberate and disrespectful manner. Hinduism reveres and regards its deities as sacrosanct. By distributing napkins with images of Hindu deities to customers in a non-vegetarian restaurant, the act showed blatant disregard for the sacredness of these icons. The use of these images in a setting where they were meant to be soiled and discarded after consuming meat directly contradicted the sanctity associated with them. This was not an accidental act but one that directly targeted the religious sentiments of Hindus, reducing sacred symbols to disposable items. These icons are not abstract symbols but embody spiritual ideals to millions of devotees, many of whom observe strict dietary and ritual practices in reverence of these very deities. By placing these images in a setting where they were intended to be desecrated, the perpetrator undermined the spiritual connection devotees hold with their religion. Such actions are considered sacrilegious and driven by a deep-seated animosity and are deliberately insulting to Hinduism. It is rooted in contempt or bias against the Hindu tradition. It meets the criteria for religiously motivated hate crimes, as they deliberately defile what a community holds sacred.
Case Status
Case sub-judice
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
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