Minority rights groups rally against religious persecution in India
Protesters in northern India demand protection of religious freedom and release of jailed Muslim and Christian youth
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Minority groups in northern India staged a major protest Wednesday against escalating anti-Muslim and anti-Christian crackdowns, with demonstrators accusing authorities of enabling bulldozer demolitions, mob violence and mass incarceration targeting religious minorities under Hindu nationalist politics.
The protest took place in Nuh, a Muslim-majority district in northern India that has witnessed repeated communal violence and anti-Muslim crackdowns in recent years.
Gathering outside the district secretariat, protesters raised slogans against the government and submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu demanding protection of religious freedom, an end to discriminatory policies and the release of jailed Muslim and Christian youth.
Speakers at the rally condemned the growing use of bulldozer demolitions against Muslim homes, mosques and businesses — a tactic increasingly used across several BJP-ruled states under the pretext of anti-encroachment drives.
Demonstrators also denounced anti-Muslim mob lynchings carried out in the name of cow protection, warning that fear and insecurity were rapidly spreading among minorities.
“Religious freedom is guaranteed by the Constitution,” one speaker told the crowd. “Every citizen has the right to practice and protect their faith without fear.”
Another protester demanded the release of Muslim and Christian youth imprisoned under what demonstrators called fabricated and politically motivated cases.
The memorandum submitted during the protest called for strict implementation of constitutional protections related to religious freedom and minority rights, including Articles 25 through 29 of the Indian Constitution.
Protesters also demanded implementation of recommendations from government-appointed panels such as the Sachar Committee and Mishra Commission, which documented deep socio-economic marginalization faced by Muslims in India and recommended measures to improve representation, education and access to employment.
Organizers from Bharat Mukti Morcha, a social justice movement, and Rashtriya Muslim Morcha said similar demonstrations were being held across hundreds of districts in India.
Human rights organizations and civil society groups have repeatedly warned that anti-Muslim hate speech, vigilante violence and selective state action have intensified under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
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