Pakistani climate policy expert peddles anti-Hindu propaganda, denies large scale persecution of Hindus
Delhi, India 
14 February, 2025
Case Summary
The Regional Director for Asia at the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) in Delhi, Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, who is also a Pakistani national, has on several occasions indulged in spreading anti-Hindu and anti-India propaganda on the X platform. His past tweets, dating from 2017 to 2021, resurfaced on X, revealing a consistent pattern of hostility towards India and its Hindu population. Ali actively propagated misinformation regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), falsely claiming that it would render Indian Muslims stateless and lead to their incarceration in detention centres. This deliberate fear-mongering played a role in inciting tensions, eventually culminating in the 2020 Delhi riots. These riots, which were falsely labelled an "anti-Muslim pogrom" by the leftist and Islamist lobby, were in reality a well-orchestrated attack against Hindus. The destruction caused during these riots was extensive. An Intelligence Bureau officer was brutally murdered, and a Delhi Police Head Constable lost his life in the violence. A rioter named Shahrukh was seen brandishing a gun and firing at police officers. One of the most horrific incidents was the barbaric killing of Dilbar Negi, a Hindu man whose hands and legs were severed before he was burned to death by jihadist rioters. The unrest that engulfed Delhi following the passage of the CAA was the culmination of months of radical instigation, with anti-Hindu hatred at its core. Ali’s anti-Hindu rhetoric extended beyond political matters. He attempted to downplay the systematic targeting of Hindu women through deceptive relationships leading to forced conversions, commonly referred to as ‘Love Jihad’ or ‘Grooming Jihad.’ Additionally, he dismissed criticism of the Tablighi Jamaat’s role in spreading COVID-19 as "Islamophobic." His bias was further evident when he praised Rahul Gogoi for raising the issue of the Delhi riots in Parliament while ignoring the scale of anti-Hindu violence. The widespread cases of Hindu women being deceived, coerced into conversion, or even killed by Muslim men posing as Hindus were framed by Ali as mere "Hindu nationalist propaganda." This blatant disregard for the plight of victims reflected his deep-seated prejudice and hostility towards the Hindu community. It has been alleged by many that Sheikh has close links with Elizabeth Gogoi, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi’s wife.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The incident has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Hate speech against Hindus. Under this, the first sub-category selected is- Denial or mocking of genocide/large-scale persecution. Denial or mocking of genocide/large-scale persecution/ethnic cleansing refers to the act of denying or minimizing the fact of the ethnic cleansing and/or genocide and/or religious persecution of Hindus. This often involves denying the scale, mechanisms, religious intent, or even the occurrence of the ethnic cleansing and/or genocide and/or religious persecution of Hindus. Hate speech of this kind involves the dissemination of falsehoods that deny or distort established historical facts or mock the suffering of Hindus by saying that they deserved the persecution, motivated by Hinduphobia. Denying such atrocities is not only about the denial of facts or rewriting/revising history, but it also delegitimises the religiously motivated persecution of Hindus, the religious hate/motivation/animosity that led to the persecution, and dehumanises Hindus as a religious group. Such denial of ethnic cleansing and/or genocide and/or religious persecution of Hindus not only denies the suffering but also paves the way for future/present atrocities and hate speech, inciting prejudice and violence against Hindus. It also provides a justification for violence by delinking religious animosity from religiously motivated crimes committed against Hindus. Since such denial and/or mocking of genocide/ethnic cleansing/atrocities motivated by religious animosity leads to present and future ramifications of creating more hate speech, violence, dehumanisation and delegitimisation, it would be considered hate speech under this category. The other sub-category under which this case has been placed is- Anti-Hindu subversion and prejudice. Within this, the tertiary category selected is- Anti-Hindu Fake News or Downplaying. Hate speech is defined as any speech, gesture, conduct, writing, or display that is prejudicial against a specific individual and/or group of people, which is leading to or may lead to violence, prejudicial action or hate against that individual and/or group. Media plays a specific and overarching reach in perpetuating prejudicial attitudes towards a community owing to unfair, untrue coverage and/or misrepresentation/misinterpretation, selective coverage and/or omission of facts of/pertaining to issues affecting a specific religious group. This type of bias can dehumanise the victim group, making it easier for others to justify harmful actions against them, which aligns with the objectives of hate speech laws aimed at preventing such harm. It is often observed that the media takes a prejudicial stand against the Hindu community driven by their need to shield the aggressor community which happens to be a numeric minority, however, is the one perpetrating violence against Hindus. For example, the media is often quick to contextualise religiously motivated crimes against Hindus, omit or misrepresent facts that point towards religiously motivated hate crimes, justify and/or downplay religiously motivated hate crimes or simply present fake news to stereotype Hindus. Such media bias leads to the denial of persecution and is often used to dehumanise Hindus, leading to justification for violence against them. For example, the media covered several fake allegations of Hindus targeting Muslims and forcing them to chant Jai Shree Ram. Most of these cases were proved false and fabricated after police investigation. These fake news reports were subsequently never retracted or clarified. Such fake news led to the justification of violence and dehumanisation of Hindus based on the argument that since Hindus targeted Muslims and forced them to chant Jai Shree Ram, the dehumanisation of Hindus and violence against them was par for the course and merely a retaliation. Such media bias leads to prejudicial portrayal of Hindus and offers a justification for violence against them and therefore, is considered hate speech under this category. Ali Tauqeer Sheikh's remarks and actions undeniably constitute a hate crime, as they are deeply rooted in hostility towards the Hindu community and reflect a clear pattern of prejudice and misinformation. His persistent efforts to downplay, distort, and even deny large-scale persecution and violence faced by Hindus, particularly in the context of the 2020 Delhi riots, exemplify a calculated attempt to manipulate narratives against the Hindu community. By falsely portraying the Delhi riots as an 'anti-Muslim pogrom' while ignoring or dismissing the targeted brutality against Hindus, including gruesome attacks such as the murder of Dilbar Negi, he engaged in a deliberate erasure of Hindu suffering. Furthermore, his propagation of falsehoods regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was an insidious attempt to incite communal disharmony. By spreading panic among Indian Muslims with baseless claims that they would be rendered stateless and sent to detention centres, he not only fuelled unwarranted fears but also contributed to the radicalisation of Islamist elements, which ultimately culminated in violent anti-Hindu riots. Such misinformation campaigns, aimed at vilifying Hindus and their legitimate concerns, are a hallmark of anti-Hindu subversion. Additionally, Ali’s dismissal of the well-documented cases of ‘Love Jihad’—where Hindu women have been deceived, coerced, or even murdered in the name of religious conversion—further exposes his entrenched bias. His attempt to discredit the social and legal scrutiny of such cases by labelling it as 'Hindu nationalist propaganda' reflects a broader agenda to delegitimise the voices of Hindu victims and shield perpetrators from accountability. Ali Tauqeer Sheikh’s systematic efforts to distort facts, deny persecution, and propagate anti-Hindu biases firmly establish this case as an instance of hate speech against Hindus. His rhetoric was not merely an expression of opinion but a concerted attempt to subvert truth, fuel communal divisions, and justify targeted violence against Hindus, making it a clear case of religiously motivated hate crime and this is why, this case has been added to the tracker.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
