Hindu extremists assault Muslim men over alleged cattle transport in Odisha

In Khordha, Odisha, Hindu extremist cow vigilantes tied up and assaulted two Muslim men for allegedly transporting cattle.

Throughout India, Hindu militant mobs routinely target Muslims over baseless accusations of committing crimes. These mobs, also known as cow vigilantes, attack and in some cases lynch Muslims accused of transporting cattle or consuming beef. 

Over a dozen shops shut down after ban on meat sale near Varanasi temple

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Uttar Pradesh government closed over a dozen meat shops after it banned the sale of meat within a 2 kilometer radius of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi city. The move blatantly targets Muslims, who are the main demographic selling meat. 

The temple is adjacent to the historic Gyanvapi mosque, where Hindu extremists recently conducted rituals after a court granted Hindus permission to worship in the mosque’s basement. Hindu extremists have been seeking to take control over the mosque and convert to a temple for years. 

Police open fire at alleged “cattle smugglers,” victims sustain bullet wounds

In BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura and Muzaffarnagar, police fired gunshots at three alleged “cattle smugglers,” who sustained bullet injuries in their legs. 

The incident is the latest in an ongoing trend of violent attacks against predominantly Muslim cattle traders by law enforcement. Over the last month, multiple instances of injuries have occurred due to police firing.

Thousands protest surge in anti-Christian hate in Chhattisgarh

In Raipur, Chhattisgarh, thousands protested the surge in anti-Christian hate crimes – including physical assaults and vandalism of churches – by Hindu extremist groups. 

Anti-Christian hate and harassment remain on the rise throughout India. D.C.-based human rights group International Christian Concern named India among the top 10 countries persecuting Christians in its 2023 Persecutors of the Year Report.