IAMC Weekly India Human Rights Monitor (September 18, 2025)

This Week at a Glance 

This week, Prime Minister Modi stoked fears of “infiltrators” in Bihar, Bengal, and Assam—a dog whistle for Bengali-speaking Muslims already facing evictions and detentions. In Assam, outrage followed the BJP’s use of an AI video portraying scenes of everyday Muslims as threatening to Hindus. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi accused authorities of “organized voter deletions” targeting Muslims, Dalits, and tribals. A 56-year-old Muslim man died in an Assam detention centre after being declared a “foreigner” despite decades-old records proving his citizenship; a Muslim teen in Gujarat died by suicide after relentless Hindu supremacist harassment; and a vendor in Bihar was beaten to death. Across India, Muslims faced assaults, mass police cases, and fresh demolitions. At JNU, students and families of jailed Muslim activists marched to mark five years since Umar Khalid’s arrest, demanding their release. On the US front, IAMC is hosting our National Retreat in Chicago this weekend, open to our volunteers across the country. 

Top Stories

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Uses Anti-Muslim Dogwhistle in Speech

Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed that “infiltrators” are a demographic threat in Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam. The term, long used by the BJP, is widely understood as a dogwhistle for Bengali-speaking Muslims, particularly those branded as “illegal immigrants” from Bangladesh. Modi also claimed that “infiltrators” also endanger women’s safety and vowed to “free the country” from them. 

Outrage as BJP Assam Posts Islamophobic AI Video

An AI-generated video posted by the BJP’s Assam unit on X has sparked condemnation for vilifying Muslims as “illegal immigrants” seizing land. Critics, including journalists and rights groups, called the video inflammatory and dangerous, warning it normalizes hate speech and communal targeting ahead of elections. Opposition parties have demanded urgent removal of the video and accountability for the ruling party’s use of AI propaganda to incite division.

Opposition Leader Alleges ‘Organized Voter Deletion’ to Benefit Ruling BJP

India’s opposition leader Rahul Gandhi accused the ruling BJP and Election Commission of colluding in a “systematic theft of democracy” by deleting voters from marginalized communities in key states. Presenting evidence of mass deletions in Karnataka and Bihar, Gandhi claimed Dalits, Muslims and Tribals were disproportionately targeted, warning that millions risk disenfranchisement and even loss of citizenship. 

Muslim Man Dies in Assam Detention Centre After ‘Foreigners’ Crackdown

A 56-year-old Muslim man, Amzad Ali, died in custody in Assam after being arrested in May under the state’s crackdown on undocumented persons, migrants, and Bengali-speaking Muslims. Declared a foreigner by a tribunal in 2021 despite possessing decades-old family records in India, Ali was held at a detention centre until he died from cancer. 

Muslim Teen Commits Suicide over Harassment by Hindu Neighbors; Muslim Vendor Beaten to Death

A 15-year-old Muslim girl in Ahmedabad died by suicide after months of harassment from her Hindu supremacist neighbors. In Bihar’s Jehanabad, a 60-year-old Muslim vegetable vendor was beaten to death in a dispute over 5 rupees with a market fee collector.

Hate crimes and discrimination in India

This week, in Uttarakhand, a 7-year-old Muslim boy was brutally assaulted by his principal and teacher for missing a day of school, while in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit, two Muslim men were beaten and jailed on false charges of cow smuggling. In Shahjahanpur, nearly 200 Muslims face police cases for protesting a derogatory post about Prophet Muhammad, while in Kanpur, over two dozen were booked for putting up “I Love Mohammad” boards. Meanwhile, a Muslim woman witness in the 2023 train killings testified that the accused forced her to chant a Hindu religious slogan at gunpoint. In Madhya Pradesh, authorities bulldozed the home of a Muslim man accused of holding Christian prayers, and in Assam, leaders from Kerala’s Solidarity Youth Movement were detained while meeting families displaced by demolitions.

Resistance & Organizing

(Muhammed Shahamath/Maktoob)

Families Of Imprisoned Muslim Activists March With Students Demanding Release 

The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Students’ Union held a march in solidarity with Muslim activists who have been imprisoned under draconian anti-terror laws, following the Delhi High Court’s recent dismissal of their bail appeals. The march, held on the day marking activist Umar Khalid’s five years in jail, was attended by the families of the jailed activists, from the young daughter of Tasleem Khan to the elderly parents of Gulfisha Fatima and Shadab Ahmed.

(AIMPLB)

Muslim Leaders in India Mobilize to Protect Waqf Properties After Court Ruling

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has vowed to intensify its Save Waqf Campaign after the Supreme Court granted partial relief against controversial provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025. While welcoming the court’s decision to safeguard waqf property rights and curb arbitrary state powers, AIMPLB leaders said they will continue pressing for a full repeal of the law, which they fear undermines community trusts.

Nationwide solidarity protests for Palestine held across India

Protest gatherings in solidarity with Palestine and in support of the Global Sumud Flotilla have been taking place in various Indian cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Chandigarh, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Kolkata. 

Defender of the Week

This week, we’re spotlighting Kerala’s 98-year-old award-winning author and literary critic M. Leelavathi, who dedicated her birthday to the starving children of Gaza, sparking online abuse from right-wing groups. She refused any celebration, saying, “How could rice slip down my throat when children in Gaza sit with plates, waiting for food?” Leelavathi, a recipient of the Padma Shri, Sahitya Akademi Award, and Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, has long been celebrated as one of Kerala’s foremost literary voices.

Voices from the Ground 

“[These activists’] bail pleas have been rejected, and even in the Supreme Court, the excuse was that there wasn’t enough time to read the documents. This shows how the Indian judiciary is completely controlled by the BJP-RSS state… Through this march, we are saying they are not alone; this is a collective struggle. We are marching to save the spirit of the Constitution.”

– Nitesh, JNU Students’ Union President

IAMC in Action

• IAMC is holding our National Retreat this weekend in Chicago, during which our volunteers, leaders, and staff from across the country gather to strengthen our bonds and brainstorm ways to increase our impact. If you’re interested in attending, contact amin@iamc.com. 
• IAMC is continuing to accept submissions for the 2025 HRRF Journalism Grant Program. The program offers grants to independent journalists pursuing in-depth stories that highlight urgent human rights and religious freedom issues in India and across its global diaspora. Apply now here.
• We’re continuing to catalogue daily hate crimes against Muslims and other minorities in India on our social media. Follow us on X and Instagram to keep up to date on the situation.

What to Watch Next Week

• For allies in California: our friends at Hindus for Human Rights have put together a letter through their online action tool to contact Governor Gavin Newsom and urge him to sign off on SB 509, which will help protect Californians from transnational repression. Take action here. 
• The final installment of the Savera coalition’s Guide to Recognizing Hindu Supremacy is out! Read it here, and check out the full zine from part one here.