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Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, India has seen a sharp rise in hate speech, communal violence, and legal discrimination against Muslims, Dalits, and other minorities. Emgage Action is working to hold the Indian government accountable for these violations by supporting legislation and policy that protects human rights and religious freedom for all. We will not remain silent in the face of systemic oppression and rising calls to violence.
The Republic of India has stood on secular principles that aim to provide equal protection to all religious and ethnic groups. 2014 marked a major shift when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) became the ruling part of India, bringing right-wing Hindu nationalism into the mainstream. In conjunction with the BJP, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) organization, a closely-affiliated paramilitary group, has worked systematically to shift India from a secular country to a nation that promotes Hindutva. The BJP’s embrace of Hindutva ideals and RSS ideology has provided political patronage and justification for violence and intolerance, and, as a result, equal protection for Muslims under the law has suffered. Genocide Watch has outlined that India is showing early “signs and processes” of genocide, specifically within the state of Assam and Indian-administered Kashmir.
Emgage Action and our partnering organizations are dedicated to holding the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India accountable for their hostilities and dangerous rhetoric against religious and ethnic minorities.
In previous sessions of Congress, Emgage Action supported the passage of H.RES.1196: Condemning human rights violations and violations of international religious freedom in India, including those targeting Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, Adivasis, and other religious and cultural minorities. The bill was introduced in June 2022 by Congress members Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Juan Vargas, and Jim McGovern.
Emgage Action is calling on lawmakers to stand against growing persecution of Muslims, Dalits, and other minorities in India. Legislation like H.Res.542 must move forward to condemn these abuses and hold the Indian government accountable.
In 2024 alone, anti-minority hate speech surged 74% in India, largely aimed at Muslims during political events. Communal violence broke out in Nagpur in early 2025, and the Ram Temple inauguration in Ayodhya led to widespread attacks against minorities. Meanwhile, legal tools like the Waqf (Amendment) Act are being used to erode Muslim institutional autonomy.
Educational institutions have also come under scrutiny for allegedly sidelining marginalized students through biased administrative procedures. Civil society is under siege, and dissenters—including academics like Ali Khan Mahmudabad—are being arrested for voicing critical opinions.
Emgage Action supports congressional resolutions like H.Res.542 and S.Res.52 that denounce religious persecution in India. We are working with lawmakers to pass legislation that reinforces U.S. commitment to international human rights and religious freedom.
We urge Congress to act decisively in the face of rising authoritarianism and sectarianism abroad. The safety and dignity of millions depend on global accountability.
© Emgage Action 2025
