USCIRF Raises Alarm Over Rising Attacks on Religious Minorities in India

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has expressed profound concern regarding the escalating atrocities committed by extremist groups against religious minorities in India. Reports indicate that the current government, driven by the Hindutva ideology of the RSS, has overseen a period in which the rights of minority communities are increasingly under threat. International observers suggest that the extremist BJP government remains committed to utilizing this religious-nationalist narrative as a primary political tool to consolidate power. Consequently, violence against minorities—particularly Muslims and Christians—along with attacks on their places of worship, has become distressingly common across the country.

According to recent findings from the USCIRF, there has been a sharp increase in targeted attacks on Indian Christians since the beginning of 2026. A notable and brutal instance involved the assault of a pastor in Odisha, who was targeted while conducting religious services. The Commission further notes that members of minority communities are being subjected to arbitrary detention and physical violence under the pretext of forced conversion allegations. The arrest of 12 Muslim men in Uttar Pradesh for praying within a private residence serves as a stark example of this systemic crackdown.

International experts argue that these hate-based policies have severely jeopardized the fundamental rights and the future security of India’s religious minorities. Under the ideological framework of the RSS, the current administration appears to be engaged in a systematic effort to marginalize these communities and exclude them from the national and social mainstream. This shift not only threatens the safety of individuals within India but also undermines the democratic and pluralistic values historically associated with the region.