Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

US report highlights violence against Indian minorities

The Indian government denies discriminating against minorities, stating that its welfare policies aim to benefit all Indians.

US report highlights violence against Indian minorities

The US State Department's 2023 religious freedom report on India noted violent attacks on minority groups, particularly Muslims and Christians, including incidents of killings, assaults, and vandalism of houses of worship.

The report, released on Wednesday, stated that in 2023, senior US officials continued to "raise concerns about religious freedom issues" with their Indian counterparts.


Human rights experts say India has seen a rise in attacks on minorities under prime minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"In India, we see a concerning increase in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, demolitions of homes and places of worship for members of minority faith communities," said US secretary of state Antony Blinken when the report was released.

Criticism of India by the US is usually restrained due to close economic ties and New Delhi's importance for Washington to counter China, according to political analysts.

The US report listed numerous incidents. One example was the fatal shooting of a security official and three Muslims on a train near Mumbai by a suspect who was a railway security official. An investigation by Indian authorities is ongoing, and the suspect is in jail, as reported by The Indian Express newspaper.

The report also cited attacks against Muslims based on allegations of their involvement in cow slaughter or beef trading.

The Indian embassy in Washington had no immediate comment. The Indian government denies discriminating against minorities, stating that its welfare policies aim to benefit all Indians.

Rights advocates contest this, pointing to anti-Muslim hate speeches, the revoking of Muslim-majority Kashmir's special status, a citizenship law that the UN calls "fundamentally discriminatory," and the demolition of Muslim properties under the guise of removing illegal construction.

The State Department report also mentioned violence in the northeastern state of Manipur that started in May last year between minority, mostly Christian, Kuki and majority, mostly Hindu, Meitei ethnic groups.

Hindu and Christian places of worship were destroyed in Manipur. According to a local tribal leaders' forum, over 250 churches were burnt down, more than 200 people were killed, and over 60,000 were displaced.

Hindus make up about 80 per cent of India's 1.4 billion population. Muslims comprise 14 per cent and Christians over 2 per cent.

The report also highlighted anti-conversion legislation in some Indian states that rights advocates say challenges the right to freedom of belief.

(Reuters)

More For You

Baiju Bhatt

At 40, Bhatt is the only person of Indian origin in this group, which includes figures such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. (Photo: Getty Images)

Baiju Bhatt named among youngest billionaires in US by Forbes

INDIAN-AMERICAN entrepreneur Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of the commission-free trading platform Robinhood, has been named among the 10 youngest billionaires in the United States in the 2025 Forbes 400 list.

At 40, Bhatt is the only person of Indian origin in this group, which includes figures such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. Forbes estimates his net worth at around USD 6–7 billion (£4.4–5.1 billion), primarily from his roughly 6 per cent ownership in Robinhood.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mandelson-Getty

Starmer dismissed Mandelson on Thursday after reading emails published by Bloomberg in which Mandelson defended Jeffrey Epstein following his 2008 conviction. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Minister says Mandelson should never have been appointed

A CABINET minister has said Peter Mandelson should not have been made UK ambassador to the US, as criticism mounted over prime minister Keir Starmer’s judgment in appointing him.

Douglas Alexander, the Scotland secretary, told the BBC that Mandelson’s appointment was seen as “high-risk, high-reward” but that newly revealed emails changed the situation.

Keep ReadingShow less
Shivani Raja MP leads fight to save Leicester Diwali celebrations

Shivani Raja MP

Shivani Raja MP leads fight to save Leicester Diwali celebrations

TWO Conservative MPs have launched a petition to stop Leicester City Council cutting back this year's Diwali celebrations.

Shivani Raja, MP for Leicester East, and Neil O'Brien, who represents nearby Harborough, Oadby and Wigston, started the Change.org petition on Wednesday (10) after the council announced plans to remove key elements from the October 20 event.

Keep ReadingShow less
Indian American hotel employee beheaded in Dallas

Chandra Nagamallaiah (R) was stabbed and beheaded on duty; Yordanis Cobos-Martinez was arrested and charged for the killing.

Indian American hotel employee beheaded in Dallas

A STAFF MEMBER at Downtown Suites Dallas, US, was killed on Wednesday (10) morning. Chandra Nagamallaiah, 50, was stabbed and beheaded on duty in front of his wife and son, according to reports.

Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, 37, was arrested and charged in the killing, which reportedly stemmed from an argument over a broken washing machine, media reports said, citing the Dallas Police Department.

Keep ReadingShow less
Deadly Pakistan floods force over two million to flee their homes

Residents sit in a rescue boat as they evacuate following monsoon rains and rising water levels in the Chenab River, in Basti Khan Bela, on the outskirts of Jalalpur Pirwala, Punjab province, Pakistan, September 10, 2025. REUTERS/Quratulain Asim

Deadly Pakistan floods force over two million to flee their homes

OVER two million people have been forced to leave their homes as devastating floods continue to sweep across Pakistan's eastern regions, authorities announced.

The worst-hit area is Punjab province, where more than two million residents have been evacuated. An additional 150,000 people have fled Sindh province, according to national disaster management chief Inam Haider Malik, who warned that the "number may rise over the coming days".

Keep ReadingShow less