IAMC Weekly India Human Rights Monitor (September 26, 2025)

This Week at a Glance 

This week, Hindu extremist violence left Muslims lynched, beaten, and humiliated across India, from a fatal cow vigilante attack in Rajasthan to a mob assault on an imam in Uttar Pradesh. Abroad, the Hindu Council of Australia faces a human rights probe for anti-Muslim rhetoric, while a new report links Indian corporations, including that of billionaire Gautam Adani, to Israel’s war economy in Gaza. Across India, police have booked over 1,300 Muslims for displaying “I Love Muhammad” banners, while assaults on students, mosque demolitions, and the prolonged jailing of Muslim leaders and activists underscored deepening repression. On the US front, IAMC condemned the crackdown on Muslims expressing love for their Prophet, and concluded our National Retreat in Chicago, during which chapter representatives from across the country met to brainstorm and build.

Top Stories

Muslim Man Lynched by Hindu Extremist Cow Vigilantes

In Rajasthan’s Bhilwara, a 32-year-old Muslim man succumbed to his injuries after he was horrifically beaten by cow vigilantes who falsely accused him of cattle smuggling. In Uttar Pradesh, a Hindu mob beat an imam, pulled his skullcap off, and forced him to chant “Jai Sri Ram.” In Kushinagar, a Muslim man was tied with ropes and thrashed over a parking dispute, and in Bihar, a 21-year-old was dragged out of a mosque and assaulted by a mob after he requested that blaring DJ music be turned down during prayers. 

Hindu Council of Australia Under Investigation for Anti-Muslim Hate

The Australian Human Rights Commission is probing a complaint against the Hindu Council of Australia and its leaders over Islamophobic posts and statements targeting South Asian Muslims. The complaint, filed by the Alliance against Islamophobia, cites reposts from far-right figures and claims Muslims were portrayed as “inherently criminal and dangerous.” It seeks a public apology, removal of the content, and compensation for harm caused.

Report Links Indian Firms to Israel’s Genocide in Gaza

A new report by the Centre for Financial Accountability accuses Indian corporations and state-owned enterprises of sustaining Israel’s war economy through defence, surveillance, agriculture, and infrastructure partnerships. The study highlights joint ventures like Adani-Elbit’s drone production, Adani Ports’ control of Haifa port, and tech giants tied to controversial surveillance projects. Rights groups warn these ties make India complicit in what UN investigators have classified as genocide in Gaza, in which over 65,000 people, including 20,000 children, have been killed.

1,300 Muslims Booked Over ‘I Love Muhammad’ Banners Across India

Police across India have registered 21 complaints and booked 1,324 Muslims, including 38 arrests, for displaying “I Love Muhammad” banners during processions. Uttar Pradesh accounts for the majority of cases, with mass bookings also reported in Uttarakhand, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. Rights groups have condemned the crackdown as a criminalization of peaceful religious expression.

Ex-Chief Justice Calls Babri Masjid’s Construction an ‘Act of Desecration’

Former Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud has triggered outrage after describing the Mughal construction of the Babri Masjid as a “fundamental act of desecration” in a recent interview, echoing the ahistorical reasoning behind the Hindu supremacist demolition of the mosque and the building of a Ram Temple over its ruins. Critics, including senior lawyers and rights advocates, accused him of legitimizing Hindu nationalist propaganda and undermining secular principles.

Hate crimes and discrimination in India

This week, in Delhi, Jamia Millia Islamia students reported that they were physically assaulted by police while traveling in a bus, assuming they had participated in a protest march on the anniversary of the 2008 Batla House encounter case. In Gujarat, the High Court cleared partial demolition of the 400-year-old Mansa Masjid, while a mosque in Uttarakhand’s Rajaji Tiger Reserve was sealed on court orders. Meanwhile, over 40 Muslim leaders linked to the banned Popular Front of India have completed three years in jail without trial, and in Jharkhand, Bajrang Dal members falsely accused a Catholic nun and 19 Adivasi minors of forced conversions, leading to hours of detention before authorities dismissed the claims.

Resistance & Organizing

Gujarat Minority Group Challenges Custodial Abuse

The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Gujarat has served legal notices to top state officials over the alleged custodial torture and public humiliation of Muslim youths in Vadodara. They have demanded disciplinary and criminal proceedings against police officers, citing violations of constitutional protections and Supreme Court guidelines. 

Indore Traders Unite Against Anti-Muslim Hate Campaign

In Indore, both Muslim and Hindu shopkeepers staged a silent march after BJP lawmaker Malini Gaur’s son called for the dismissal of Muslim employees. Partners like Balwant Singh Rathore and Mohd Haroon stressed that markets and livelihoods depend on cooperation, not division, while clerics and civil society leaders warned against the economic and social fallout of hate politics. 

Defender of the Week

This week, we’re spotlighting Kashmiri human rights defender Khurram Parvez, who has now spent over 1,400 days in detention under draconian anti-terror laws, drawing renewed calls for his release. Internationally acclaimed for documenting abuses through the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, Parvez’s imprisonment has been condemned as a deliberate attempt to silence dissent and cripple civil society in Kashmir with international organizations like the United Nations and Amnesty International repeatedly calling for his immediate release.

Voices from the Ground 

“They are the future leaders, they are educated, they have a voice, and yes, they are Muslims. That is why the government is afraid of them.”

– Indian actor Prakash Raj on incarcerated Muslim activists 

IAMC in Action

• IAMC strongly condemned the alarming wave of police crackdowns across India targeting Muslims for peacefully expressing their reverence for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Read our full press release here. 
• 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

• Diaspora Indians for Liberation is a new national network for young Indian Americans interested in community organizing. Learn more about their mission by reading their zine here, fill out their interest form here, and follow them on Instagram @wearedil. 
• 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.