IAMC Weekly India Human Rights Monitor (February 27, 2026)
This Week at a Glance
This week, an inquiry into the 2022 Leicester violence urged the UK to recognise militant Hindutva as a form of extremism, while UN experts called for independent probes into extrajudicial killings and custodial torture in India. A study by the US-based National Bureau of Economic Research found widespread caste and religious segregation in India, with Muslims facing poorer access to public services. On the ground, elderly Muslim men were assaulted in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, and fresh voter deletion allegations emerged in Uttar Pradesh even as the Supreme Court declined to hear a plea from displaced residents. Additional incidents included the lynching of a young Dalit man in Jharkhand, the arrest of a Christian pastor in Uttar Pradesh over alleged conversion, vandalism by a Hindu supremacist student group at a Bengaluru university, communal violence in Jabalpur, demolition of a centuries-old shrine in Telangana, a BJP leader in Rajasthan denying blankets to Muslim women, and the withdrawal of a federal education textbook over a section on judicial corruption.
Top Stories
UK must recognize militant Hindutva as a form of extremism: Report on 2022 Leicester violence
An independent inquiry into the 2022 Leicester violence by researchers from the School of Oriental and African Studies and the London School of Economics has called on the UK government to recognise “radical and militant Hindutva”, “Hindu nationalism”, or “Hindu supremacism” as a form of extremism, while noting that the clashes between Hindus and Muslims in the city, were heavily fueled by “disinformation and misinformation.
UN experts flag systemic policing failures in India over reports of custodial violence, seek independent probe
UN expertscalled on the Government of India to launch urgent independent investigations into alarming allegations of hundreds of extrajudicial killings and torture-related deaths and thousands of injuries by law enforcement officials, and undertake major reforms to modernize policing in line with international human rights standards.
Muslims face segregation, poor services in India: Study
Urban and rural neighbourhoods across India show a high degree of segregation based on caste and religion, with marginalized groups, including Muslims, facing significantly poorer access to public services, according to a new working paper by the Massachusetts-based nonprofit, National Bureau of Economic Research. The research also found that segregation in India’s cities and villages is comparable to racial segregation in the United States.
Elderly Muslim men assaulted by Hindu extremists in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh
An elderly Muslim man was assaulted and forced to chant Hindu religious slogans after offering prayers on a vacant land near a temple in Jagatpura, Uttarakhand. Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh’s Budaun, a Bajrang Dal leader assaulted elderly Muslim men, forced them to remove their caps, and then chased them.
Voter Deletions Mount in UP as Displaced Residents Denied Court Relief
In Murshidabad, Uttar Pradesh, residents claim that the names of more than 70 valid voters were targeted for deletion from the electoral roll, triggering outrage among affected families who have lived and voted in the area for generations. Meanwhile, The Supreme Court of India declined to hear a petition filed by former residents of Akbar Nagar in Lucknow who said that their names were removed from electoral rolls after their homes were demolished in 2024.
Hate crimes and discrimination in India
This week, in Palamu, Jharkhand, a young Dalit man was beaten to death by villagers on suspicion of stealing a tractor battery. In Uttar Pradesh, a Christian pastor from Kerala was arrested on charges of alleged religious conversion following a complaint filed by Bajrang Dal militants. In Bengaluru, over 100 members of Hindu supremacist student group stormed a university and vandalized the campus during a protest over a discussion linked to Kashmir’s Kunan Poshpora. Communal violence rocked Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur with incidents of stone-pelting and vandalism, prompting police to fire teargas shells. Officials in Telangana demolished a centuries-old shrine located adjacent to a temple despite objections from the Waqf Board and members of the Muslim community. A BJP leader refused to give three Muslim women blankets at an event for blanket distribution among the needy at Rajasthan’s Tonk after learning about their religious identity. The federal agency for education has stopped the sale of its textbook after it included a section on “corruption in the judiciary.”
Resistance & Organizing
Hindu students stand guard while Muslims offer prayers outside barricaded mosque
After the administration of Lucknow University locked and barricaded the historic Lal Baradari building on campus, where a mosque is located, Muslim students offered prayers outside the closed structure, while Hindu students formed a human chain around them in a show of solidarity and unity. However, a complaint was filed against the Muslim students and they have been ordered to submit a personal bond of $550 each
Rahul Gandhi Meets ‘Mohammad Deepak,’ Praises Courage
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met Deepak Kumar, popularly known as “Mohammad Deepak,” the Uttarakhand gym owner who intervened to protect a 70-year-old Muslim shopkeeper from harassment by Bajrang Dal militants in Kotdwar. Gandhi’s visit is being seen as a strong gesture of solidarity for those standing against communal intimidation.
High Court Slams Uttar Pradesh Police Over Scripted FIRs in Cow Slaughter Cases
The Allahabad High Court recently criticized the Uttar Pradesh Police for filing first information reports (FIRs) in cow slaughter cases that contained dramatic language and inconsistencies, while pointing out an FIR that described events using phrases and dialogues more commonly found in movie scripts, raising concerns about the authenticity and reliability of the reports.
Defenders of the Week
This week, we’re spotlighting Aftab Ali, a youth from Kailashahar, Tripura, who opened his home to three Hindu families after a fire reduced their houses to ashes, giving up all three rooms of his residence so they would not be left homeless. He arranged cooking utensils, gas cylinders, bedding, rations, and other essentials to help them through the immediate crisis, saying religion did not matter in a moment of human need. His efforts were later supported by the Sheikh Foundation, which provided a month’s supplies and educational materials for the children. Community leaders said Ali’s act has strengthened bonds between Hindus and Muslims in the area.
Voices from the Ground
“Modi’s embrace of Zionist Israel amidst its relentless genocidal assault on Palestine is a betrayal of India’s anti-colonial legacy and our long-standing position in support of the right to self determination of the Palestinian people, reaffirmed by UN resolutions that India has co-sponsored and voted for.
War criminal Netanyahu has now announced that India will cooperate in security issues, and Modi is going to Israel to “dance and sing” to his tunes. This unholy alliance will be an indelible blot on our nation’s soul. Shame!”
– M.A. Baby, General Secretary, CPI(M)
IAMC in Action
- On our latest episode of Beyond the Taj, activist Sharjeel Usmani joins us for a heartbreaking and harrowing exploration of life as a Muslim in Modi’s India, from the impact of navigating a constant fog of oppression, to the ways in which individuals continue to hope, keep faith, and resist. Watch or stream this episode now on YouTube, Apple, and Spotify.
What to Watch Next Week
- Ramadan Mubarak! Our volunteers will be putting on a Ramadan roadshow to raise awareness about Hindutva and IAMC’s work at masajid across the country. If you’d like to invite IAMC for a presentation at your masjid this Ramadan, contact amin@iamc.com.
