Hindu extremists forcibly stop construction of Muslim shrine
In Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad, members of Hindu extremist groups forcibly stopped the construction of a Muslim shrine near a crematorium, claiming it was built illegally and went on to forcibly dismantle the construction.
The demolition of Muslim shrines across India has been endemic. Between May and August of 2023 alone, officials demolished 465 shrines. Muslims have accused the BJP government in the state of selectively targeting their shrines under the guise of removing encroachments from public land.
Seven Christians detained after police, Hindu militants raid prayer meeting
In Chhattisgarh’s Durg, Hindu militants from the Bajrang Dal along with police officials raided a Christian prayer meeting and took seven people into custody, accusing them of forcibly converting Hindus to Christianity.
Christians across states have been arrested under India’s draconian anti-conversion law, which criminalizes conversion away from Hinduism.
Anti-Terrorism Squad questions parents of activist over pro-Palestine protest in Kerala
Kerala’s Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) questioned the elderly parents of Muslim activist and journalist Rejaz M. Sheeba Sydeek, reportedly due to his involvement in pro-Palestine protests.
The questioning has raised concerns about surveillance and intimidation tactics used against those participating in Palestine solidarity protests in Kerala. Recently, Sydeek and four others were detained for wearing a keffiyeh, the symbol of Palestine solidarity, during a sports match.
Sydeek has also previously been booked over a journalistic report about anti-Muslim bias in Kerala that led to the detention of Muslim youths, without any leads, in connection with bomb blast case.
India’s Supreme Court rules demolitions over alleged crime to be “unconstitutional”
India’s Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to demolish a person’s house without following the due process of law merely because they are allegedly involved in a crime. The ruling comes in light of demolitions carried out by the government in Muslim-majority localities of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
The Court also held that the public officials who demolish the properties in such a manner should be held accountable. The top court laid down guidelines, including making issuing of a notice mandatory before carrying out demolitions.
