Rights groups warn of state-backed persecution of Muslims in India
Muslim delegation say authorities in northern India are targeting Muslims with punitive demolitions and mass detentions under guise of law and order
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A fact-finding delegation has accused authorities in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh of targeting Muslims with arbitrary arrests and property demolitions, describing the actions as politically motivated and in violation of due process.
The delegation from Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) — one of India’s oldest Islamic social organizations known for its advocacy on civil rights and education — visited the city of Bareilly, about 250 kilometers east of New Delhi, after a wave of detentions and demolition notices followed recent unrest.
Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, is ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a firebrand cleric known for his hard-line policies against Muslims.
According to the delegation, at least 27 Muslim families in Bareilly have received demolition or sealing notices, while 32 shops owned by Muslims have been shuttered by local authorities. Residents showed land deeds and digital evidence proving that several accused individuals were not even present during the clashes, yet police cases were filed and bulldozers moved in within days.
“These arrests and demolitions represent a grave miscarriage of justice and a misuse of administrative authority,” said Malik Motasim Khan, national vice president of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.
He urged the government to withdraw what he called “politically driven” police complaints — known in India as First Information Reports (FIRs) — and release those detained without credible evidence.
Rights lawyer Nadeem Khan of the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) said his team is representing the affected families in court. “The state has turned punishment into spectacle,” he said, calling the demolitions “a tool of intimidation rather than justice.”
Observers note that Uttar Pradesh has become a testing ground for the BJP’s so-called “bulldozer justice” — a policy of razing Muslim-owned homes and businesses after protests or minor clashes. Human-rights groups say the practice violates India’s constitutional guarantees and amounts to collective punishment.
The JIH delegation said senior district officials refused to meet them during their visit. In a closing statement, the organization appealed for calm but urged citizens “to stand firm and pursue justice through constitutional and democratic means.”
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
