NEW DELHI – Religious minorities in India are facing alarming surge in violence and hate-driven attacks, and now Christians, a community of over 30 million, has long a small and economically vulnerable group, which is latest targets. Observers warn that this trend threatens India’s constitutional secularism and raises serious questions about the country’s commitment to religious freedom.
A piece in American newspaper mentioned uptick in attacks on Christians under Narendra Modi’s rule. Muslims have historically borne brunt of discrimination in employment, education, housing, and voting but recent developments show that Christians are increasingly caught in the crossfire of hate and violence.
Despite making up only 2.3% of India’s population, Christians are being accused by extremist Hindu groups of forced religious conversion. Twelve Indian states have laws criminalizing “coercion, deception, or inducement” in conversion, effectively labeling even peaceful religious outreach as suspicious.
Christmas, long recognized as a public holiday in India, has become a flashpoint for conflict. Leaders such as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have openly criticized the holiday. On Christmas Eve, crowds gathered outside churches, chanting hate slogans against Christian missionaries.
Location: Raipur, Chhattisgarh
Date: 24 DecemberHindu nationalist organizations vandalized Christmas decorations at Magneto Mall. The incident occurred amid a call for a statewide shutdown in Chhattisgarh over an alleged religious conversion case in Kanker district. pic.twitter.com/k6r3VyU85W
— The Muslim (@TheMuslim786) December 24, 2025
In Madhya Pradesh, a BJP leader disrupted a Christmas ceremony in a church and physically assaulted a blind woman, videos of the attack went viral online. In Raipur, Chhattisgarh, Christmas decorations in shopping malls were destroyed and Santa Claus figurines vandalized. Similar attacks have been reported across multiple BJP-ruled states.
Indian human rights group Citizens for Justice and Peace called this year’s Christmas “a national stage for expressing majority dominance,” noting that targeting Christian symbols is not random but a deliberate message: Christian identity is unwelcome.
The United Christian Forum reports a dramatic rise in attacks, from 139 incidents in 2014 to 834 in 2024, with 706 incidents reported by November 2025.
US Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended in its 2025 report that India be designated a “country of particular concern” for its ongoing violations of religious freedom. The report highlights cases where police inaction allowed perpetrators to operate with complete impunity.
On Christmas, Prime Minister Modi attended a church service in New Delhi, delivering a message of love and harmony. Yet critics including members of the Christian community and secular advocates dismissed gesture as symbolic, pointing out that no clear action or condemnation has been taken against the attackers.
India’s secular framework has long been fragile. Observers argue that under Modi, its practical relevance has nearly vanished.
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