“Muslims will be bombed, beaten” Islamophobia surges in India as PM faces US pressure

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has called on Washington to hold India accountable for what it describes as systematic and ongoing violations of religious freedom, including violence and discrimination against religious minorities, Muslim Network TV reports.

The report said USCIRF expressed particular concern over the US visit of Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), saying individuals and organisations linked to the Hindu nationalist group have been implicated in attacks targeting Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Dalits.

According to the commission, policies introduced under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party government have increasingly reflected the RSS’s Hindutva ideology, contributing to discrimination against religious minorities.

USCIRF also accused Indian authorities of failing to adequately prevent, investigate or prosecute cases of mob violence against Muslims and Christians.

USCIRF Chair Asif Mahmood called on Washington to impose targeted sanctions on RSS members and Indian officials allegedly involved in religious freedom violations. He also urged the U.S. government to revoke Bhagwat’s visa and bar him from entering the country in the future.

USCIRF also highlighted concerns over policies affecting Muslims in Assam, including measures related to the National Register of Citizens and the Citizenship Amendment Act. The commission said some Muslim residents had been forcibly expelled under these policies.

These calls come amid another anti-Muslim incident in India. A Hindu priest from the northern state of Uttarakhand threatened to bomb Muslims’ homes and beat members of the community.

In a video circulating on social media, he calls on Muslims to pack their belongings and leave India, then threatens violence against those who remain. He says bombs would be planted in Muslim homes if they did not leave and that “Muslims will also get beaten wherever they are found.”

Uttarakhand has faced controversy in recent years over anti-Muslim campaigns, including demands by Hindu groups for Muslims to leave some towns and calls to prevent Muslim traders from operating near Hindu pilgrimage sites.