Online Desk: A damning new report has exposed the systematic persecution of Muslims and Christians in India under the Hindutva regime.
The report, based on the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) Hate Crime Tracker, was released in New Delhi on November 10. It documented 322 hate crimes, 54 killings and direct involvement of Indian army and police in one in every three attacks during the first nine months of 2026.
The incidents took place across 24 states and union territories between January 1 and September 30, 2026.
“In the first nine months of 2026, a Muslim or Christian in India was attacked, harassed, arrested, driven from home or killed because of their faith more than once a day, on average. And in one case in every three, the people who were meant to stop it took part,” the report says.
Of the 322 cases, 307 targeted Muslims, 14 targeted Christians and one targeted both. At least 488 Muslims and 90 Christians were attacked, harassed, arrested or displaced, including 48 children, 26 women and nine senior citizens.
A police force, army unit, civic body or administration was directly involved in 119 incidents. Police alone were involved in 81.
Of the 54 killed, 21 died in state hands. Twelve were shot in police or army “encounters”, nine of them in Uttar Pradesh. Nine others died in police custody or prison.
In occupied Jammu and Kashmir, all three deaths recorded involved Indian forces. Rashid Ahmad Mughal, 28, was killed in a disputed army “encounter” in Ganderbal on March 31. Arif Hussain, 30, was shot dead by police at a night checkpoint in Bhaderwah, Doda, on July 17.
No police officer or soldier has been charged for any of the 21 deaths.
The state also acted through law against the victims. Forty FIRs were filed against victims, 37% of all FIRs recorded.
Muslims were arrested for an iftar in Shravasti, for breaking fast on a boat in Varanasi, and for praying in an empty house in Bareilly. In Telangana, a BJP leader slapped a school principal for teaching Urdu, and police then booked the principal.
Despite the Supreme Court’s 2024 guidelines, demolitions continued as collective punishment. In Assam’s Goalpara, 73 Muslim families were evicted on 24 hours’ notice. At least 83 Muslim families were driven from their homes in nine months.
Meat and cattle were behind 79 incidents, one in four, and 11 deaths, including four lynchings.
Religious festivals were behind one in five incidents. Around Bakra Eid alone, 46 incidents were documented in 19 days. Holi, Ram Navami and Kanwar Yatra became occasions for violence against Muslims.
Of 30 killings by mobs or individuals, all main accused were arrested in only 10. In 20, at least some killers were still free. For non-fatal attacks, arrest was reported in only 12 of 94 cases.
APCR called for accountability, effective enforcement of Supreme Court directions and protection for those documenting violations.