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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&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/replace-nursery-rhymes-with-firearms-training-hindu-nationalist-tells-indian-parents" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Christians</a> 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 <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/opposition-slams-indias-ruling-bjp-after-attack-on-christian-pastor" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">anti-Christian</a> speeches, while the Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad&ndash;Rashtriya Bajrang Dal organized 16. States governed by the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/india-antiminority-speeches-at-rss-centenary-convention" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bharatiya Janata Party</a>, either directly or through coalitions, accounted for 134 of the recorded incidents. Speeches frequently framed Christians alongside Muslims as part of a &ldquo;dual threat,&rdquo; often labeled &ldquo;vidharmis,&rdquo; 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. &lsquo;Forced conversion&rsquo;&nbsp;Central to this rhetoric was the &ldquo;forced conversion&rdquo; 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 narrativesThe 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.

India

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.

Anti-Christian hate speech in India surges 41% in 2025: Report 

ISLAMABAD: A rights group has called out the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for openly advocating an &quot;ideological war&quot; against Muslims and Christians. The group, Hindutva Watch, highlighted that RSS leader Sadhvi Prachi made threatening remarks against both communities at a &quot;Virat Hindu Sammelan&quot; (great Hindu convention). The event was part of the centenary celebrations of the RSS, the extremist ideological arm of the ruling BJP. Hindutva leader Sadhvi Prachi claimed that both Muslims and Christians were engaged in campaigns to convert Hindus. The centenary has received high-level political visibility, including official government communications around commemorative programs.In a video from the convention, Prachi is heard making derogatory references to Muslims, saying she could not see any &quot;jaali dar topi wale&quot; in the crowd&mdash;a jibe at Muslim skullcaps&mdash;while criticizing those she claimed refuse to say &quot;Vande Mataram.&quot;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2015665528589738482&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a6b02ae931f08fdc1d04f72b3d367b60b2d73420&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 697px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>She framed the situation as an &quot;ideological war&quot; against people who, she alleged, &quot;divided India&quot; and &quot;created 56 countries.&quot; She also claimed they are now carrying out &quot;love jihad&quot; and converting Dalits through inducements. Prachi also targeted Christian institutions, accusing convent schools of &quot;mind-washing&quot; and alleging they offer financial incentives to poor families in exchange for changing religion declarations on admission forms. The claims were made without evidence and mirror a broader pattern of polarizing rhetoric regularly used by Hindutva-aligned speakers.Rights advocates argue that such speeches are not merely rhetorical: they help normalize suspicion toward minorities and can increase real-world vulnerability. Muslims, they say, are portrayed as disloyal, infiltrative, or culturally incompatible. In recent years, civil-society monitors have repeatedly warned that the public mainstreaming of anti-minority narratives contributes to a climate in which harassment, discriminatory profiling, and mob intimidation become easier to justify. Prachi&#39;s remarks come at a politically charged moment, as the RSS centenary program expands its public footprint through high-visibility gatherings across India.

Anti-Muslim and anti-Christian speeches made at the hundred-year celebration of RSS, at which hate speech remained the theme of the day.

RSS leader Sadhvi Prachi makes incendiary remarks against Muslims, Christians at centenary event

ISLAMABAD: A UN watchdog on racial discrimination has renewed scrutiny of India&rsquo;s treatment of Bengali-speaking Muslims in the Indian state of Assam, a long-running controversy rooted in citizenship verification and identity politics in India&rsquo;s northeast.&nbsp;The dispute centres on Assam&rsquo;s National Register of Citizens process, which&nbsp;has disproportionately targeted Bengali-speaking Muslims, leaving many at risk of exclusion, statelessness, or prolonged legal uncertainty.&nbsp;The Chair of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), Michal Balcerzak, in a Jan. 19 letter addressed to India&rsquo;s Permanent Representative in Geneva, Arindam Bagchi, said CERD was following up on its earlier communication of May 12, 2025, on the same issue.&nbsp;According to the letter, CERD acknowledged India&rsquo;s response and noted India&rsquo;s position on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 and the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules 2024, including the claim that the framework does not deprive eligible foreigners of the right to apply for citizenship through registration or naturalization.&nbsp;However, CERD said it regrets a lack of information on key allegations previously raised. These include claims of racial discrimination against Bengali-speaking Muslims during the NRC update and exclusion from the final list due to procedural irregularities, difficulty obtaining required documents, and stricter verification standards applied to people classified as &ldquo;non-original inhabitants,&rdquo; a term the committee said lacks a clear definition.&nbsp;The committee also cited allegations of systematic forced evictions without adequate housing or compensation, along with reports of rising hate speech and incitement to violence, and allegations of excessive use of force by law enforcement, causing recurrent killings and injuries, plus violent attacks by civilians or organized groups in mid-2024.&nbsp;CERD called on India to take &ldquo;all necessary measures&rdquo; to protect the community&rsquo;s rights and asked India to provide detailed information during its upcoming periodic reporting, including steps to prevent discriminatory nationality deprivation, halt forced evictions, combat hate speech online and offline, and investigate alleged lethal use of force.

A UN anti-racism committee told India its reply was incomplete, seeking details on alleged discrimination against Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam, including NRC exclusion, evictions, hate speech, and excessive force.

UN watchdog questions India on discrimination of Bengali Muslims in Assam

ISLAMABAD: Voices from civil society, academics, and social media users in India are urging the Delhi police to take immediate action after a video statement from a Hindutva goon went viral.&nbsp;The video allegedly called for the demolition of Delhi&rsquo;s historic Jama Masjid, drawing comparisons with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bjps-social-media-post-on-babri-masjid-highlights-antimuslim-bias" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Babri Masjid</a>&nbsp;episode. Those raising concerns say the remarks are inflammatory and risk fueling communal tensions in the capital. Several commentators and activists shared the clip while condemning the language used and calling for stricter action. Journalist Ashraf Hussain wrote that Jama Masjid is &ldquo;not only a place of worship for Muslims but also a living document of history, faith, and culture,&rdquo; adding that the rhetoric echoed <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/india-bulldozes-muslim-shrine-on-bjp-leaders-complaint" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">dangerous slogans</a> of the past.<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/d50b5957-1306-46da-8389-7efc1b0656b8.png" style="width: 1000px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> Others, including social media user Haroon Khan and others identifying as social workers and academics, appealed directly to the Delhi police to investigate and act &ldquo;under the law,&rdquo; stressing the need to maintain peace.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 777px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2013655740041568637&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=79769bcb4e8a4910710969f13d22374019cf9772&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Professor Noor-ul-Ilahabadi described the viral statement as &ldquo;extremely concerning,&rdquo; asking who benefits from &ldquo;deliberately spreading poison in society.&rdquo; He urged authorities to act swiftly to prevent escalation and to reassure communities.<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/cb69ca03-e621-4110-8c24-44a9061d720f.png" style="width: 1000px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> The controversy comes amid heightened sensitivity around religious sites and public order in India.<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-condemns-reported-profiling-of-mosques-in-iiojk" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;Jama Masjid</a>, built in the 17th century during the Mughal era, is among the country&rsquo;s most prominent Islamic landmarks and a symbol of Delhi&rsquo;s plural heritage.&nbsp;As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official statement from the Delhi police regarding the specific video or remarks. However, those demanding action say timely intervention is essential to uphold the rule of law and prevent hate speech from translating into real-world harm.

Articles tagged with "Hindutva"

Anti-Christian hate speech in India surges 41% in 2025: Report

RSS leader Sadhvi Prachi makes incendiary remarks against Muslims, Christians at centenary event

UN watchdog questions India on discrimination of Bengali Muslims in Assam

Outrage after Hindutva goons threaten to demolish Delhi’s Jama Masjid