Communalism

The Politics of Processions: How the Sanatan Ekta Padyatra amplified hate speech in plain sight

As the Sanatan Ekta Padyatra traversed 422 village panchayats across three states, it carried not merely religious symbolism but explicit political messaging. Calls for a Hindu Rashtra, vilification of Muslim communities, and assertions of majoritarian dominance raise serious questions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita’s provisions on promoting enmity, inciting violence, and disturbing public tranquillity. Yet, as the aftermath shows, ranging from protests in Datia to a clash in Vrindavan, the legal system’s response has been fragmented and cautious. This report interrogates that legal vacuum, situating the padyatra within established precedents of hate-speech jurisprudence and the enduring gap between statutory safeguards and ground-level enforcement.

A Conspiracy of Hate: The Aligarh temple graffiti incident

Aligarh Police exposed that the “I Love Muhammad” graffiti on temple walls—first blamed on local Muslims—was a staged act of revenge over a land dispute, emerging amid state-wide crackdowns and communal tension, the case laid bare how personal vendettas can be weaponised to inflame religion and hatred

Uttarakhand HC pulls up police over mob attack in Ramnagar, seeks action against BJP leader for inciting communal violence

Bench directs action taken report by November 6; Petitioner alleges political protection to main accused

Assam Government to table ‘Love Jihad’ and polygamy bills, CM Sarma says parents of male accused will also face arrest

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announces sweeping new laws expanding anti-conversion and personal law frameworks in Assam, extending criminal liability to parents of accused men — a move unprecedented in India’s legal landscape

Court stays proceedings against RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat over alleged derogatory remarks targeting Muslim women

After a video of his alleged inflammatory speech at a Deepotsava event went viral, the Sessions Court in Puttur restrained police from arresting or detaining Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat — the latest in a long series of hate speech complaints against the influential RSS organiser in coastal Karnataka

Can majoritarian societal pressure re-write the rulebook? The illegality behind forced non-veg shutdowns during festivals

Across cities, self-styled vigilantes and pliant administrations are turning a majoritarian religious sentiment into state policy—forcing meat shops shut, harassing small vendors, and eroding constitutional freedoms. As livelihood and dietary choice fall victim to faith-led policing, we ask, can devotion be invoked to justify discrimination? Does this trend underline how faith is being weaponised to erode rights and livelihoods?

From Words to Bulldozers: How a Chief Minister’s rhetoric triggered and normalised punitive policing in Bareilly

Following the “I Love Muhammad” controversy in September 2025, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath’s public warnings—using phrases like “chedhoge to chodenge nahi” and “denting and painting must be done”—were swiftly mirrored by mass arrests, property demolitions, and internet shutdowns, raising urgent questions about legality, proportionality, and the social impact of executive speech

September of Fear: Targeted Violence against Christians in Rajasthan exposes pattern of harassment after Anti-Conversion Bill

What began as scattered threats escalated into systematic persecution of Christians in Rajasthan, with right-wing groups and police acting in tandem to enforce religious control

CJP files complaint to Maharashtra DGP, SP Jalgaon over police participation in communal rally amid Suleman Pathan lynching probe

Citizens for Justice and Peace demands disciplinary action against Jamner police officers seen marching with Shiv Pratisthan Hindustan — the same outfit linked to the accused in Suleman Pathan’s lynching, calling it a grave breach of constitutional neutrality and investigative integrity

Cuttack plunged into chaos during Durga Puja, dozens injured as procession clashes spiral into violence

A historic city known for centuries of communal harmony faces a 36-hour curfew and internet shutdown after clashes during Durga idol immersion; authorities vow arrests as VHP rally escalates tensions, leaving 31 injured

Violence & Sanatan Dharma: Now suspended lawyer defends shoe attack on CJI Gavai, claims it was a protest against ‘bulldozer’ remark”

71-year-old lawyer who hurled shoe at CJI B.R. Gavai during live SC hearing defends the act as protest against ‘insult to Dharma’ and attributes his angst at the CJI’s recent remark in Mauritius — claims divine guidance, expresses no regret post-release; gets publicity from pro-government media channels

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The Politics of Processions: How the Sanatan Ekta Padyatra amplified hate speech in plain sight

As the Sanatan Ekta Padyatra traversed 422 village panchayats across three states, it carried not merely religious symbolism but explicit political messaging. Calls for a Hindu Rashtra, vilification of Muslim communities, and assertions of majoritarian dominance raise serious questions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita’s provisions on promoting enmity, inciting violence, and disturbing public tranquillity. Yet, as the aftermath shows, ranging from protests in Datia to a clash in Vrindavan, the legal system’s response has been fragmented and cautious. This report interrogates that legal vacuum, situating the padyatra within established precedents of hate-speech jurisprudence and the enduring gap between statutory safeguards and ground-level enforcement.

A Decade after Bisada: Why Uttar Pradesh’s attempt to drop the Akhlaq lynching case defies law and constitution

Ten years after the Dadri lynching shocked India and forced a national reckoning on hate violence, the Uttar Pradesh government has moved to withdraw prosecution against the accused — raising critical questions of law, constitutional duty, and deliberate impunity

Bihar Elections: Trains for votes? The unanswered mystery of the ‘phantom’ specials from Haryana to Bihar

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The Orchestrated Extremism: An analysis of communal hate speech in India’s election cycle (2024–2025)

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Communal Profiling at Malabar Hill, CJP’s files complaint with Maharashtra Police and NCM

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