Rights groups and opposition leaders have blamed organisations linked to the BJP-RSS for the anti-Christian violent incidents
NEW DELHI — India has come under renewed international scrutiny after reports of more than 60 attacks by Hindutva groups aligned with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on members of the Christian community during Christmas celebrations. The attacks happened even as even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a public visit to a church—an apparent contradiction that has triggered sharp criticism from the opposition Congress party.
Global media outlets have highlighted what they describe as a striking contrast between the prime minister’s symbolic participation in Christmas prayers and reports of disruptions and attacks on Christian gatherings across several BJP-ruled states.
Rights groups and opposition leaders have blamed organisations linked to the BJP-RSS for the incidents, alleging a sustained pattern of intimidation against religious minorities.
Addressing a press conference at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters here on Friday, Congress leader and party spokesperson Pawan Khera said the incidents reflected a “disturbing new normal” under the BJP -led government.
“Across the country, we have been receiving reports over the last two to three days of organised attacks against the minority community of Christians—against their celebrations in churches and in malls,” Khera said. “This goes against every tenet of the constitutional values we stand for and should not be tolerated in any civilised democracy.”
Khera accused the Union government of failing to protect minority rights at home while simultaneously raising concerns over the treatment of Hindus abroad. “The BJP government has no moral right to speak about minorities outside India when it cannot safeguard the rights of minorities within the country,” he said. He added that the Congress party had consistently raised its voice against attacks on Hindus in neighbouring Bangladesh as well as against violence targeting minorities in India.
Pointing to what he described as a broader pattern of communal provocation, Khera said religious festivals across communities had increasingly become flashpoints. He alleged that during certain Hindu festivals, fringe groups deliberately passed through Muslim neighbourhoods with provocative processions, while festivals such as Eid and Christmas were subjected to heightened scrutiny and disruption.
“When it comes to Eid, suddenly everybody becomes a goat lover. They start counting how many goats have been sacrificed—why?” Khera said. “When it comes to Christmas, you have seen what has happened over the last three days.”
“Celebrating one’s faith should never mean disturbing someone else’s,” he added.
The Congress spokesperson also questioned the political intent behind the prime minister’s church visit, suggesting it was linked to upcoming elections in Kerala, a southern state with a significant Christian population.
“Had it not been for elections in Kerala, we would not have seen those visuals of the prime minister going to a church,” Khera said. “The prime minister goes to the church, but his foot soldiers indulge in the hooliganism we have been witnessing. This needs to be responded to by the prime minister himself. If he cannot control his foot soldiers, he should not put up this facade of going to a church on Christmas.”
Khera further blamed Modi for what he described as the alarming situation in the country.
“People know you inside out—your politics, the origin of your politics, your role in Gujarat, your narratives of shamshan and kabristan, of recognising people by their clothes,” he said. “This narrative, set by the prime minister himself, is now being carried forward by his foot soldiers through these attacks.”
Meanwhile, international coverage has increasingly focused on what analysts describe as a widening gap between India’s constitutional promise of secularism and ground-level realities. Several global outlets have noted that the Christmas-related incidents add to long-standing concerns raised by human rights organisations about religious freedom in the country.
During the same press interaction, Khera also responded to a question on an alleged sexual assault case in Madhya Pradesh, where a survivor reportedly attempted suicide after naming the son of a BJP leader. He linked the incident to what he called a troubling national pattern in which accused individuals are perceived to enjoy political protection.
“The brazenness with which rapists believe they can get away with such crimes comes only when powerful people back them,” Khera said, citing a series of high-profile cases across different states. He contrasted the current climate with earlier periods when, he said, political parties avoided any appearance of defending the accused.
