{
  "id": 4637228,
  "title": "Kiren Rijiju Hits Out At Afghan Social Media Handle Over ‘Praise Be To Allah Who Destroys Idols’ Post",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/kiren-rijiju-hits-out-at-afghan-social-media-handle-over-praise-be-to",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-31T10:46:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/kiren-rijiju-hits-out-at-afghan-social-media-handle-over-praise-be-to-allah-who-destroys-idols-post"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "An account claiming to be a Nepalese outlet, “Daily Afganistan,” posted a video following the catastrophic flash floods that struck Nepal. The video featured an image of Lord Shiva's idol submerged in a rapidly flowing river, accompanied by the caption, “Praise be to Allah who destroys idols.” The post ignited criticism on social media due to the apparent mockery of Hinduism.\n\nUnion Minister Kiren Rijiju responded vehemently to the post on Monday, stating that India had never mocked other nations during times of natural disasters. He emphasized the importance of human empathy and respect for others, urging, “Be Human, Respect Others, Love All.” The minister's statement further fueled the controversy, as his account highlighted the frequent mockery of Hinduism in the outlet's previous posts.\n\nThe social media handle behind the post garnered significant attention, accumulating over 28,000 followers. Analysis of its past tweets revealed a pattern of ridicule towards other religions, particularly Hinduism, alongside its regular social media activity and news-related content. The controversy surrounding the post unfolded as Nepal continued to recover from the devastating floods, which resulted in over 900 fatalities.",
  "summary": "A social media post by an account identifying itself as Afghanistan-based outlet “Daily Afganistan”, shared in the aftermath of the devastating flash floods in Nepal, has drawn a sharp response from Union Minister Kiren Rijiju. Post triggers criticism The post featured a video showing an idol of Lord Shiva amid a gushing river, apparently following the floods that have devastated parts of Nepal.…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}