Hindu faith mocked: Muslim man posts obscene video using bhajans dedicated to Hindu deities
Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India 
25 June, 2025
Case Summary
In Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, a video displaying obscene content set to Hindu bhajans (Hindu religious prayers sung in the glory of a deity) was created and posted on social media by a Muslim man named Mohammad Yunus Khan. He also made derogatory remarks on the bhajans of Hindu deities. Reports suggest that the accused, Yunus, had uploaded the video to his Facebook account, where it quickly went viral and sparked outrage among Hindu activists from various organisations. In response to the derogatory video and remarks of the Muslim perpetrator, the Hindu activists approached the local police station and filed a complaint against Yunus. The police then acted promptly and registered a case against the accused. Following this, the police managed to trace Yunus, and then he was arrested. During police interrogation, Yunus claimed that he had posted the video on Facebook by mistake. However, the police proceeded with legal action and sent him to jail. Additionally, reports also stated that Yunus had expressed his belief that anyone who insulted Prophet Mohammad should be beheaded, even as he himself created derogatory videos targeting Hindu bhajans.
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 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. The second category selected here is- Attack in Hindu religious representation, and within this, the sub-category selected 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 hated 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 obscene video made using the bhajans (religious prayers of Hindu deities) was designed to undermine and abuse Hindu religious beliefs, making it a religiously motivated hate speech against Hindus and their faith. Such actions are deliberately intended to provoke and hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. Hindu deities and their religious prayers are central to the Hindu faith, and they are held in high reverence and are chanted by Hindus. Any attempt to denigrate it stems from religious animosity towards Hinduism. In this instance, the derogatory video uploaded on social media, along with the derogatory remarks by the Muslim perpetrator, was a direct attack on the sanctity of the Hindu faith. The perpetrator's actions were not a random or misguided act, but a calculated and premeditated effort to undermine Hinduism and attack the beliefs of the broader Hindu society. The Muslim perpetrator openly maintained that anyone who insulted the Prophet of his faith deserved to be beheaded, yet he himself made a derogatory video and wrote offensive remarks about Hindu prayers. This clear double standard of the Muslim perpetrator exposes his prejudice and deep-seated hostility towards Hinduism and its followers. Acts like this are clear instances of hate speech because they go beyond the realm of criticism or debates, seeking instead to denigrate a religious group and their revered deities. Instances of denigrating 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 comments, memes, images, 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. In this case, the deliberate denigration of the Hindu bhajans by the Muslim perpetrator firmly establishes this act as religiously motivated hate speech, and it is therefore categorised under the hate crime database.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
