ISLAMABAD: Anti-Christian hate speech in India intensified sharply in 2025, according to data compiled by India Hate Lab, reflecting a broader escalation in religious polarization linked to Hindu nationalist mobilization.
The organization documented more than 162 distinct incidents targeting Christians during the year, a 41% increase from the 115 incidents recorded in 2024.
The report notes a growing normalization of explicit threats, calls for organized action, and vigilante rhetoric.
A widening range of actors, including religious preachers, far-right organizations, and elected officials, contributed to an increasingly militant anti-Christian narrative.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad-Bajrang Dal organized 50 events featuring anti-Christian speeches, while the Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad–Rashtriya Bajrang Dal organized 16.
States governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party, either directly or through coalitions, accounted for 134 of the recorded incidents.
Speeches frequently framed Christians alongside Muslims as part of a “dual threat,” often labeled “vidharmis,” a pejorative term used to describe followers of religions portrayed as foreign or hostile to Hindu society.
Across multiple events, speakers called for economic boycotts, destruction of churches, and physical violence.
‘Forced conversion’
Central to this rhetoric was the “forced conversion” narrative, which alleged that Christian charity, education, and healthcare services were deceptive tools to induce religious conversion, particularly among poor and Adivasi communities.
Several incidents illustrated this trend. In January, at events in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh, Bajrang Dal leader Azad Prem Singh openly called for the demolition of churches and invoked the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition as a precedent.
Similar rhetoric was reported across states, including Punjab, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh, with some speakers urging followers to arm themselves or take oaths to use weapons to defend Hinduism.
Xenophobic narratives
The report also highlights increasing attacks on Christian institutions, particularly missionary schools, which were labeled as harmful or subversive.
A parallel rise in xenophobic narratives framed Christians as foreign loyalists tied to colonial powers or the Vatican.
Civil society data underscores the impact of this rhetoric.
Christian organizations reported hundreds of violent incidents annually, with significant increases over the past decade.
India Hate Lab concluded that anti-Christian hate speech in 2025 has become structurally embedded within the same ecosystem that targets Muslims, contributing to sustained risks of violence, exclusion, and legal persecution for Christian communities.
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