Saraswati Puja mandap vandalised, idol desecrated, garments stripped by unknown miscreants
South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, India 
3 February, 2025
Case Summary
A Saraswati Puja Mandap was vandalised in Moudi Hat village under the jurisdiction of Bishnupur Police Station in South 24 Parganas district. The idol of Goddess Saraswati was desecrated, with its garments stripped and thrown to the ground. The idol’s private parts were specifically targeted and bore what appeared to be bite marks. All items used in the puja were also found broken, leaving devotees devastated. Upon discovering the act of desecration, angry locals staged a protest and blocked a key road for several hours, demanding strict action against the perpetrators. Despite the severity of the incident, no arrests were reported. The local community remained in shock and is calling for justice against the perpetrators of this hateful act.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This incident has been added to the tracker under the category of- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Under this, the first sub-category selected is- Desecration of Hindu religious symbol. 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 second sub-category selected is- Violence against religious structures or centres. In Hinduism, a religious structure is also considered divine. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the religious structure itself is sacred. In this sub-category, we would document attacks against religious structures which are not consecrated temple spaces. Such religious spaces could be temporary in nature – for example – the religious spaces erected specifically for festivals like Durga Puja etc. This category would also document cases of attacks against religious centres. These spaces in their own right may not be ‘sacred’ per se, however, are often spaces where religious gurus live, religious teaching is imparted, or belong to religious institutions. Any attack against religious structures is a result of animosity towards the religion itself, which manifests itself through the religious spaces and therefore, such attacks are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. Religious centres are also manifestations of the religion, its teachings or gurus and therefore, attacks against such centres would be considered religiously motivated hate crimes. The desecration of the Saraswati Puja Mandap is a blatant act of religious hatred, deliberately targeting Hindu religious sentiments. The stripping of the idol’s garments, the defilement of its private parts, and the destruction of sacred puja items indicate a deeply ingrained hostility towards Hinduism. Such acts are not just mere vandalism but a symbolic assault on the faith itself, intended to humiliate and instil fear within the Hindu community. It is also important to mention here that though the last update was that the miscreants were unknown, regardless, the action stemmed out of hatred against Hinduism and resulted in the desecration of the sacred temple and would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
