Human rights groups are warning that Muslims in India are facing persecution at levels they describe as unprecedented under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. International organizations cite a surge in abuses against religious minorities, including mosque demolitions and a rise in hate-motivated killings, which they link to what they view as India’s accelerating democratic erosion. The 2025 Democracy Report from the V-Dem Institute notes that India has now spent nine consecutive years classified as an electoral autocracy, pointing to shrinking space for free expression and increasing hate speech aimed at minority groups.

According to the Indian NGO APCR, the first year of Modi’s third term saw 947 hate crimes, with Muslims representing the majority of victims. Twenty-five of those cases were fatal, all involving Muslim victims. Reports also describe homes, shops, and mosques being demolished under anti-encroachment campaigns that rights advocates say fall heavily on Muslim communities. India’s inclusion as a high-risk country in the 2025 Global Torture Index reinforces broader concerns. Research by Common Cause identifies Muslims, Dalits, and Adivasis as among the groups most vulnerable to torture and custodial deaths, while regions such as Manipur and Ladakh continue to see lethal force, mass detentions, internet shutdowns, and repeated civil rights violations.

The conflict in Manipur alone has resulted in more than 260 deaths and around 60,000 displaced people, according to Human Rights Watch. India is also facing growing international scrutiny over allegations of extraterritorial repression, including an attempted assassination of Sikh activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States and related North American court findings implicating Indian intelligence personnel. Together, these documented patterns have intensified global concern about the direction of India’s governance and the safety of its minority populations.