Fake Muslim Identities Used to Incite Hate and Defame the Community in India
India’s Muslim community has become increasingly vulnerable to a disturbing tactic employed by members of Hindutva outfits and their sympathizers: the adoption of fake Muslim identities to tarnish the community’s reputation and incite hatred. This alarming trend involves Hindu individuals posing as Muslims online and even during criminal activities, creating a false narrative that links Muslims to anti-national sentiments and criminal behavior. This sophisticated strategy seeks to manipulate public perception and fuels existing communal tensions.
Several documented instances highlight this unsettling pattern. In 2014, a Hindu man using the alias "Abdul" on X (formerly Twitter) claimed responsibility for the Church Street blast and threatened further attacks. Similarly, in 2022, a Hindu youth in Karnataka created a fake Muslim profile to post derogatory messages about a Hindu goddess, deliberately inflaming communal sensitivities in the region. These fabricated incidents exploit existing societal fault lines and aim to solidify the stereotype of Muslims as a threat to national security.
This deceptive tactic extends to high-profile cases as well. In 2023, two Hindu college students used a fake Muslim identity to send threatening emails to Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani. In another instance in 2024, two Hindu men used a Muslim pseudonym to send bomb threats targeting the Ayodhya Ram Mandir and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. These carefully orchestrated acts seek to create a climate of fear and suspicion around the Muslim community.
The manipulation of religious identity is also employed to sow discord within Hindu communities. In 2024, a Hindu man disguised himself as a Muslim and berated Hindus for not voting for the BJP, further exacerbating communal divisions. More recently, in 2025, a Hindu man used a fake Muslim identity online to threaten the Maha Kumbh Mela, a major Hindu pilgrimage. In each of these instances, the perpetrators were subsequently identified as Hindu individuals, exposing the deliberate attempt to frame Muslims and incite communal tensions.
The pervasive nature of this tactic is further amplified by social media platforms, which often serve as breeding grounds for the rapid spread of misinformation and communal propaganda. Hindu extremists exploit this by creating fake Muslim profiles to disseminate hate speech, call for violence, and claim responsibility for criminal acts, all in an effort to demonize Indian Muslims. This fabricated narrative is then amplified by right-wing propaganda machinery, bolstering the false perception of Indian Muslims as radicalized and dangerous.
The consequences of this disinformation campaign are devastating. The damage to the Muslim community’s reputation is often irreversible, with public perception permanently altered. Despite fact-checkers and activists exposing the truth behind these incidents, certain mainstream media outlets, particularly those aligned with the ruling government, often perpetuate the initial false narrative, further cementing the negative perception of Muslims in the public consciousness. This fabricated narrative then serves as justification for discriminatory policies and violence against Muslims, contributing to their marginalization across India. A 2024 report highlighted the surge in online abuse targeting Muslims, particularly since 2014, with threats ranging from rape and death threats to derogatory slurs. This alarming rise in online hate speech underscores the real-world consequences of this fabricated narrative.
The international community is beginning to recognize the gravity of this issue. In 2025, the UK-based think tank Policy Exchange included Hindutva in its list of extremism targets, recognizing its potential to incite violence and discrimination. This inclusion signifies a growing awareness of the dangers posed by Hindutva extremism and underscores the need for countermeasures to address this emerging threat. The report explicitly linked Hindu nationalist movements to the 2022 violence in Leicester, marking the first time such a connection has been officially acknowledged in government proceedings. Human rights organizations have welcomed this recognition, emphasizing the urgent need to address the growing threat posed by Hindutva ideology.
