Human Rights Watch, in its World Report 2026 has strongly condemned the BJP government for targeting religious minorities and expelling hundreds of Bengali-speaking Muslims and Rohingya refugees calling them “illegal immigrants” in 2025.
The 36th edition of Human Rights Watch’s report, which is 529 pages assessed the state of human rights of around 100 countries, highlights violence against minorities, suppression of critics forcing them to self-censor, hate speeches, demolition of properties belonging to Muslims, and the targeted attacks led by hindutva outfits.
The report mentions specific incident that occurred in the last year. It mentions Operation Sindoor after Pahalgam attack, during which the authorities blocked independent media organisations, arrested many social media users and registered FIRs against academics and satirists.
The report took note of increasing hate speech by members linked with extremist hindutva groups and the repeated violations of Supreme Court orders that disallowed unlawful demolitions.
Protests had erupted in Ladakh in September which led to police firing that took the lives of four individuals. The administration responded by shutting down internet connection and arrested climate activist Sonam Wangchuk along with many other activists. The report calls the arrests a “politically motivated move” asserting that these activists were jailed without charges.
Flagging the suppression of dissent, opposition parties, civil society groups, the report alleged that the Indian government targeted dissents by implicating fabricated charges against them including claims of “foreign funding”, “money laundering” among others. It further cited voter fraud and the bias of the Election Commission of India and the irregularities reported in electoral rolls.
Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, Elaine Pearson stated, “The Indian government has routinely targeted marginalised communities and dissents by the means of discriminatory laws, hate speech and politically motivated violence. Instead of scrapping it’s unjust policies and promoting the country as a global voice on human rights, the government has eroded the country’s credibility worldwide.”
The rights watchdog warned that the government was tarnishing the country’s global standing and urged it to ensure justice and peace by putting a permanent halt to the violence against minorities and suppression of dissent.
The 36th edition of Human Rights Watch’s report, which is 529 pages assessed the state of human rights of around 100 countries, highlights violence against minorities, suppression of critics forcing them to self-censor, hate speeches, demolition of properties belonging to Muslims, and the targeted attacks led by hindutva outfits.
The report mentions specific incident that occurred in the last year. It mentions Operation Sindoor after Pahalgam attack, during which the authorities blocked independent media organisations, arrested many social media users and registered FIRs against academics and satirists.
The report took note of increasing hate speech by members linked with extremist hindutva groups and the repeated violations of Supreme Court orders that disallowed unlawful demolitions.
Protests had erupted in Ladakh in September which led to police firing that took the lives of four individuals. The administration responded by shutting down internet connection and arrested climate activist Sonam Wangchuk along with many other activists. The report calls the arrests a “politically motivated move” asserting that these activists were jailed without charges.
Flagging the suppression of dissent, opposition parties, civil society groups, the report alleged that the Indian government targeted dissents by implicating fabricated charges against them including claims of “foreign funding”, “money laundering” among others. It further cited voter fraud and the bias of the Election Commission of India and the irregularities reported in electoral rolls.
Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, Elaine Pearson stated, “The Indian government has routinely targeted marginalised communities and dissents by the means of discriminatory laws, hate speech and politically motivated violence. Instead of scrapping it’s unjust policies and promoting the country as a global voice on human rights, the government has eroded the country’s credibility worldwide.”
The rights watchdog warned that the government was tarnishing the country’s global standing and urged it to ensure justice and peace by putting a permanent halt to the violence against minorities and suppression of dissent.