Indian army accused of torturing civilians in Jammu and Kashmir
Four Muslim civilians in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar reported being tortured by the Indian Army’s Rashtriya Rifles during questioning related to a militant attack. The victims—daily wage laborers —were released in severely injured conditions, with medical reports revealing bruises and injuries, confirming physical assault.
Earlier this year, award-winning English magazine The Caravan received an order from India’s Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, a federal body, directing them to take down a story about the Indian army’s brutality against civilians in Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials demolish parts of Muslim shrine in Haryana after pressure from Hindu militants
In Haryana’s Ambala, parts of a Muslim shrine were demolished by civic officials based on a court order. The order came after Hindu militants from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal protested against it, claiming it was an illegal construction, and threatened to demolish it themselves if the officials didn’t take action.
The demolition of Muslim shrines across India has been endemic. Muslims have accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of selectively targeting their shrines under the guise of removing encroachments.
Violence Against Christians Surges in India, 673 incidents reported this year
India has witnessed a sharp rise in violence against Christians, with 673 incidents reported to the United Christian Forum (UCF) helpline by October 2024. BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh leads with 182 cases, followed by Chhattisgarh with 139. However, only 47 police complaints were registered despite the surge.
According to the UCF’s Violence Monitor Report 2024, incidents include physical assaults, threats, desecration of religious symbols, and disruptions of prayer services.
“In 2014, incidents of violence against Christians were fewer than a hundred…Last year, in 2023, we recorded about 750 incidents, which means two Christians were attacked every day in our country,” said UCF National Coordinator AC Michael.
Eight Christians arrested after police, Hindu militants raid prayer meeting
In BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur, Hindu militants from the Bajrang Dal joined police in raiding a Christian prayer meeting, arresting eight attendees over allegations of them forcibly converting Hindus to Christianity. In Madhya Pradesh’s Jhabua, Hindu militants from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) forcibly stopped the construction of a church. A video shows the militants chanting, “Beat the Christian agents with shoes.”
Anti-conversion laws across BJP-ruled states have emboldened Hindu extremists, leading to increased harassment of Christians and attacks on their places of worship.
