ISLAMABAD: A US government panel heard allegations of escalating persecution of Muslims and Christians in India, with activists and experts accusing members of the ruling BJP and affiliated Hindu nationalist groups of enabling hate speech, violence and discrimination, according to Clarion India on Wednesday.
The testimony was presented in Washington before the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent, bipartisan body that advises the US government on global religious freedom issues.
Among those testifying was journalist and researcher Raqib Hameed Naik, who is the founder and executive director of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate and founder of India Hate Lab, which tracks hate speech and anti-minority violence in India.
In his testimony, Naik said that “attacks against minorities are no longer isolated incidents but part of a broader climate of impunity” adding that, "hate speech targeting Muslims and Christians has become normalized in India’s political and public discourse."
According to figures cited in his testimony, 1,318 incidents of hate speech were recorded in 21 Indian states in 2025, marking what he described as a 97% rise compared with 2023.
Naik reportedly called for targeted Global Magnitsky sanctions against BJP leaders and Hindu nationalist figures accused of inciting or enabling violence against minorities.
Lamenting on the nefarious methods used by Hindutva and racist groups to target minorities, Naik said that, "We have long noticed unmarked cars and suspicious figures at our protests, community gatherings, mosques, and gurdwaras."
He alleged that anti-Muslim and anti-Christian hate campaigns have increasingly become normalized in political rallies, religious gatherings and online spaces.
The hearing also focused on allegations that homes, businesses and places of worship belonging to minorities have been demolished or attacked in several Indian states.
“If this trend continues, India could become one of the countries with the largest internally displaced populations in the world,” Naik told the commission.
He called on the US to designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern” under international religious freedom provisions.
Hate speech has intensified under Modi
Critics at the hearing argued that hate speech against Muslims and Christians has intensified under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and the BJP’s broader Hindutva political ideology.
According to Reuters and rights groups cited during discussions, attacks on minorities, anti-conversion laws and inflammatory rhetoric have drawn repeated international concern in recent years.
India Hate Lab data showed a rise in anti-minority hate speech incidents, with most cases allegedly occurring in BJP-governed regions.
Witnesses also accused social media platforms of amplifying anti-Muslim and anti-Christian narratives while failing to adequately moderate extremist content.
'Transnational repression'
The hearing reportedly examined what activists described as “transnational repression,” including intimidation and harassment faced by critics of the Indian government abroad.
The Indian government has repeatedly rejected accusations of discrimination against minorities and has dismissed earlier USCIRF and US religious freedom reports as “biased” and politically motivated.
New Delhi maintains that its policies benefit all communities equally and argues that foreign criticism often misunderstands India’s social and constitutional framework.
The latest hearing nevertheless adds to growing international scrutiny over religious freedom and minority rights in India, particularly as rights organizations continue documenting attacks, hate speech and communal tensions across the country.
