India’s minorities face crisis as 141 hate crimes, 102 hate speeches recorded in 90 days
APCR report says Muslims and Christians targeted in lynchings, mob attacks, and assaults on places of worship as hate speech spreads
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Religious minorities in India faced a surge of violence and intimidation this summer, with 141 hate crimes and 102 incidents of hate speech recorded between June and August, according to a new report by the Association for the Protection of Civil Rights (APCR).
The study shows that states governed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reported the highest numbers: Uttar Pradesh with 36 cases, Chhattisgarh with 17, and Maharashtra with 14. Of the total incidents, 41 involved physical assault, 31 targeted property, and seven Muslim men were lynched to death.
The report linked much of the violence to Hindu extremist groups and political actors. The Bajrang Dal was implicated in 26 cases, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in 16, and BJP members in 12. Police and other state officials were found complicit in at least 20 incidents, either through direct involvement or failure to act. Despite the scale of attacks, only 22 of the 141 hate crimes led to police filings.
APCR documented 19 assaults on mosques, churches, and shrines, underscoring the growing vulnerability of religious sites. In 115 cases, mobs carried out the violence, often forcing victims to chant Hindu religious slogans.
The report estimates that 462 individuals were directly affected — including 370 Muslims, 86 Christians, and six Hindus — with women, children, and elderly people among those harmed.
Hate speech was described as increasingly entrenched in India’s political discourse. Of the 102 reported cases, 92 targeted Muslims and six targeted Christians. BJP leaders were responsible for 70 of these speeches, while groups such as Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad played a significant role.
Many speeches invoked tropes of “jihad” or “infiltration,” and several included explicit calls for violence. Yet only four of the incidents resulted in legal action.
APCR warned that unchecked hate speech and repeated attacks against minorities are normalizing exclusion and violence in everyday life. “Mob violence, intimidation, and attacks on religious sites are no longer isolated incidents — they have become routine,” the report said, adding that India’s secular fabric faces “irreparable damage” without urgent intervention.
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