Protestor killed by police amid farmer-led protests in Punjab
A 24-year-old protester died from a head injury after police in far-right Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Haryana dropped tear gas shells on Sikh farmers protesting the government in demand of price supports. The police killing took place in a major escalation of the protest, which has been ongoing since February 13.
Censorship of people and groups raising awareness about these protests has increased. Following demands from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu supremacist government, a dozen accounts on X and Facebook were withheld in India for posting about the minority Sikh-led protests.
Hindu extremists pelt stones at mosque in Bihar during religious rally
In Darbhanga, Bihar, Hindu extremists pelted stones at a mosque while a Hindu religious procession was passing through the area. Hindu processions passing through Muslim-majority areas have often vandalized mosques and attacked Muslims and their properties.
Hindu extremist leader incites violence against Muslims outside of mosque
In Pune, Maharashtra, Hindu supremacist leader Harsha Thakur gave a hateful anti-Muslim speech while standing in front of a prominent mosque in the city. In her speech, Thakur called on Hindus to pick up swords, threatened to “take care of… jihadis”, and declared that India is a “Hindu Nation.”
Other Hindu extremist leaders also gave hate speeches across India. In far-right BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh’s Farrukabad, Hindu extremist monk Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati delivered a speech using dehumanizing language against Muslims. In Patna, Bihar, Hindu supremacist YouTuber Manish Kashyap called on Hindus to take over two mosques in Mathura and Varanasi cities, hinting at the use of violent means to do so.
