Goddess Saraswati idol vandalised in Malda, West Bengal
West Bengal, India 
7 February, 2025
Case Summary
An X handle named 'bloody_media' posted a video of students of Badnagara High School, Malda, West Bengal, stating that they had made all the arrangements for celebrations of Saraswati Puja at their school. But a night before the Puja day, some miscreants entered the school and broke the idol of the Goddess Saraswati. They looted everything from the spot of the Puja. The students complained that such incidents against Hindu festivals had increased in West Bengal. They also stated in many cases, beef was thrown in Hindu temples to hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Under this, the 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. Hinduism regards its deities with profound reverence, considering them sacred. Acts of deliberate idol desecration, as demonstrated in this case, are seen as deeply offensive and sacrilegious. Such actions often stem from entrenched animosity and an intent to insult the faith. This clear attack on religious sentiments exemplifies hate and justifies its inclusion in the tracker. It is 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 idol of the Hindu Goddess. Therefore, this incident would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
