Modi government censors over a dozen social media accounts amid farmer protests

Following censorship demands from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu supremacist government, a dozen accounts on X and Facebook have been withheld in India for posting about ongoing Sikh-led farmer protests. The banned accounts include those of activists and journalists, reflecting the Modi government’s ongoing crackdown on press freedoms and dissent. 

According to the watchdog group Reporters Without Borders, India ranked 161 out of 180 countries on the press freedom index in 2023, lagging behind outright authoritarian governments such as Afghanistan. 

Muslim teens attacked by Hindu mob, force them to chant Hindu supremacist slogan 

In separate hate crimes, two Muslim teens have reported being physically assaulted by the same Hindu extremist mob and forced to chant the Hindu supremacist warcry “Jai Shri Ram,” which is often associated with mob lynchings.

One victim, 19-year-old Irfan, reported that the mob of 15-20 people attacked him without warning while he was visiting a park with some friends. The other victim, 18-year-old Sayyad, reported that he was selling fruit from his vendor’s cart when the mob attacked him and forced him to chant “Jai Shri Ram.” The mob also overturned his cart.  

After attacking the two teens, the mob filmed themselves dancing to Hindu supremacist pop music in front of the grave of a Sufi shrine. 

Hindu mob assaults Christian church members

Several Christians were injured in Telangana state after a Hindu mob attacked a local church community over demands that the church be demolished as part of a road-widening project. According to Bishop M. A. Daniel, who heads the Methodist Church of India, at least 20 Christians were injured in the attack.