Case Summary

In Khaga, Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, a derogatory comment about Lord Ram was posted on social media by a Muslim youth named Mohammad Yassir. According to media reports, Yassir made derogatory and sexually explicit remarks about Lord Ram through his Instagram account, "Yassir___70". A Hindu man had commented "Ram Ram" on one of the Instagram posts, to which Yassir responded with offensive language directed at Lord Ram. This incident came to the attention of members of Hindu organisations such as the Bajrang Dal. They managed to trace and apprehend the accused. Yassir was then taken to a Hanuman temple at Patel Nagar Chauraha by Bajrang Dal members, where he was asked to pray and apologise to Lord Hanuman and the Hindu community. The Hindu activists also applied a tilak to his forehead and asked him to seek forgiveness for his offensive remarks about Lord Ram. Yassir apologised to the Hindu community and assured them that he would never use such abusive language towards Hindu gods in future. He was then released by the members of the Hindu organisations. The local police stated that they had not received any complaint regarding this incident. They said that if a complaint is received, they would carry out the necessary legal procedures.

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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. 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. 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.