IAMC Weekly India Human Rights Monitor (June 26, 2026)
This Week at a Glance
This week, a report documented at least 23 Muslim religious structures were demolished in just 45 days across six BJP-ruled states, while the government tightened its FCRA rules to restrict foreign funding for NGOs. Police in Uttar Pradesh exposed two separate plots to frame Muslims, a staged “Pakistan Zindabad” video at a procession and a fabricated cow slaughter accusation. In Shamli, seven Muslim men were arrested over alleged beef at a wedding, with the marriage hall sealed. A Gujarat man threatened mass anti-Muslim violence after a court convicted 14 cow vigilantes for lynching. Attacks on Christians continued in West Bengal and Karnataka. Elsewhere, officials offered Rs 100 per grave after damaging a Muslim graveyard, and hundreds protested Lakshadweep’s proposed liquor policy.
Top Stories
Over 23 mosques, madrasas, eidgahs and shrines demolished in 45 days, all in BJP-ruled states
At least 23 Muslim religious structures, including mosques,shrines, eidgahs, madrasas and a graveyard, have been demolished across six BJP-ruled states since May 2026, according to a documentation report. The demolitions took place in Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana. In nearly all cases, community representatives alleged that legal procedures were not followed, no prior notice was served, and nearby Hindu structures built without authorization were left untouched.
Staged “Pakistan Zindabad” video and fabricated cow slaughter plot expose campaign to frame Muslims in UP
In Bareilly, police arrested two men after an investigation found they had orchestrated a video showing a child shouting “Pakistan Zindabad” during a Muharram procession and circulated it on social media to falsely implicate the local Muslim community. Police said the accused instructed a minor to chant the slogan, recorded the clip from outside the procession and then made it viral with “malicious intent.” In a separate case in Bijnor, police uncovered an alleged cow slaughter conspiracy in which a man named Jagpal plotted to frame a Muslim man for cow slaughter.
Seven Muslim men arrested over alleged beef served at wedding in Shamli; marriage hall sealed
Police in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district arrested seven Muslim men, including the groom’s father and two cooks, in connection with the alleged cooking and serving of beef at a wedding reception held at a marriage hall. Three men were arrested on the night of the event, with four more arrests following within days. Authorities subsequently sealed the Mughal Banquet Hall and served a notice to the owner asking why the “unauthorised” structure should not be demolished.
Mass anti-Muslim violence threatened after court convicts 14 cow vigilantes for lynching
A man from Gujarat’s Surat has threatened mass violence against Muslims in a viral video after a court sentenced 14 men to life imprisonment for the 2022 mob lynching of Nazir Ahmad in Madhya Pradesh’s Seoni Malwa.In the video, the man, identified as Vishal Singh, used communal slurs against the Muslim judge and warned of violence “if our 14 brothers are not released within 10 days.” The threat has raised alarm about the targeting of judicial officers who deliver justice in communally sensitive cases.
Government Tightens Grip on NGO Foreign Funding, Critics Say Minorities and Civil Society Are the Real Target
The Indian government has amended the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), introducing sweeping new requirements for NGOs receiving foreign funds, including mandatory disclosure of social media accounts and donor chains, and restrictions on approved activities and operating regions. A newly created “Designated Authority” will be empowered to take provisional control of any NGO’s assets when its registration lapses, powers critics warn will be used to further squeeze minority institutions and civil society, with over 20,000 organisations already stripped of their licences.
Attacks on Christians continue across India
In West Bengal’s Raniganj, a mob of Hindu militants from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) disrupted a Christian prayer meeting, alleging that forced conversions were taking place. In Karnataka, a Christian youth was abducted and assaulted by a right-wing group after they mistook him for a Muslim while he was having lunch with a Hindu woman.
Hate crimes and discrimination in India
This week, civic officials in Mathura offered just around $1 per grave as compensation after damaging a Muslim graveyard. In Prayagraj, a Dalit woman alleged her house was bulldozed without any notice. UP police said a Muslim man named Zahid, described as a “cattle smuggler,” was injured in a police encounter in Bareilly. In Muzaffarnagar, a Hindu group protested the sale of a house to a Muslim buyer and demanded administrative intervention. Hundreds protested in the Muslim-majority Lakshadweep’s Agatti island against the government’s proposed liquor policy. In Rajasthan, an Instagrammer was detained over an anti-RSS video, sparking a political row.
Resistance & Organizing
APCR holds legal awareness workshop in West Bengal; demands accountability over mosque demolitions
The Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) held a legal awareness workshop in West Bengal to help voters whose names were removed from electoral rolls during the controversial SIR exercise. At a separate conference in New Delhi, APCR demanded accountability over the growing pattern of mosque demolitions across BJP-ruled states.
AIMPLB announces nationwide movement against demolitions and marginalisation of Muslims
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) announced a nationwide movement against “social and political marginalisation of Muslims and the demolition of mosques and madrasas.” AIMPLB also expressed concern over the “forced implementation of the (Uniform Civil Code) UCC” as contrary to religious freedom guaranteed under the Constitution.
Defender of the Week
This week, we’re spotlighting Judge Tabassum Khan, Additional District and Sessions Judge, who convicted 14 cow vigilantes and sentenced them to life imprisonment for the 2022 mob lynching of Muslim man Nazir Ahmad. Judge Khan relied on video recordings of the assault and circumstantial evidence to establish that the accused had committed “mob lynching” with “extreme brutality.” Her verdict was one of the rare instances in which cow vigilantes faced meaningful judicial accountability. Days later, a man from Surat posted a viral video targeting Judge Khan with communal slurs, threatening mass violence against Muslims if the convicts were not released within 10 days. The open targeting of a judge for delivering justice in a lynching case underscores both the courage required to uphold the rule of law in India’s current climate and the grave risks faced by those who do.
IAMC in Action
- IAMC strongly condemned the unlawful and discriminatory campaign of demolitions targeting mosques, dargahs, graveyards, eidgahs and madrasas across multiple BJP-ruled states in India. Read our statement here.
