There have been violent attacks on minorities, especially Muslims and Christians, including killings, assaults, discrimination, and vandalism of places of worship in India, Reuters reported, citing the US State Department’s 2023 religious freedom report.
The report stated that senior US officials were concerned about “religious freedom in India” as there has been a rise in attacks on minorities under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
When the report was published on Wednesday, June 26, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken denounced that in India there was a “concerning increase in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, and demolitions of homes and places of worship for members of minority faith communities.”
The report listed several incidents, substantiating how minorities were targeted in India.
It cited a fatal shooting of a security official and three Muslims on a train in Mumbai by a suspect who turned out to be a railway security official. There were also examples stating how there were attacks against Muslims taking place in the country based on allegations that they were slaughtering cows or trading beef.
Meanwhile, the Indian government has consistently denied these allegations, stating that the state has always aimed to benefit all Indians.
However, the rights activists challenging the claim point to anti-Muslim hate speeches, the abrogation of partial autonomy in Jammu and Kashmir, and a citizenship law that the UN calls “fundamentally discriminatory.” The activists also point to the demolition of Muslim properties in the name of removing illegal construction.
