Hindu extremist BJP minister restricts meat sale in open spaces in Madhya Pradesh
In Madhya Pradesh, after the far-right Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won state elections, newly appointed Chief Minister Mohan Yadav declared restrictions on the sale of meat and eggs in open spaces in a move that directly targets Muslims and Dalits.
He also imposed a ban on the use of loudspeakers that exceed permissible decibel limits. This ban has often been used by BJP governments to arbitrarily crackdown on the Azaan (Muslim call to prayer) from mosques.
Yadav has a long association with the paramilitary group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), regarded as the primary organization behind the rise of Hindu supremacy in India.
Police official who shot Muslim woman at point-blank range still at large
A 55-year-old Muslim woman, Ishrat, died after being shot in the head at point-blank range by a police officer. The officer, Manoj Sharma, has yet to be arrested.
According to Ishrat’s family, she had gone to the police station to verify her passport, where an officer harassed her for money. An argument followed, after which Sharma shot her in the head.
Footage of the incident was captured on CCTV, which went viral. Sharma fled the scene after the shooting and remains at large.
Record-high 687 incidents of anti-Christian violence recorded in 2023 in India
India has been ranked as the eleventh worst country for the persecution of Christians by the nonprofit group Open Doors International. The United Christian Forum (UCF), an Indian Christian body, has reported an average of two anti-Christian incidents per day in the country.
According to the UCF, the numbers have seen a steady increase from 505 in 2021, 599 in 2022, and 687 in 2023 until November. BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh saw the highest number of incidents.
Uttar Pradesh court approves Hindu extremists seeking survey of Shahi Idgah mosque
The Uttar Pradesh High Court allowed a plea filed by Hindu supremacists seeking an inspection of the historic Shahi Idgah mosque in Mathura city, in order to justify claims that the mosque is built on a historic Hindu site and should be demolished.
Since the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992 by a Hindu militant mob and the subsequent construction of a temple on the disputed land, Hindu supremacist groups have been attempting similar demolitions of historic mosques across India.
