ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday expressed “deep concern” over the continued persecution of religious minorities in India, citing recent incidents in which Hindu groups vandalised Christmas decorations and disrupted celebrations in the neighbouring country ahead of the holiday.
Last week, mobs armed with wooden sticks vandalised Christmas decorations at a shopping mall in central India, while Hindu groups disrupted school celebrations and burned holiday merchandise in the northeast, according to Indian media.
The violent incidents of vandalism occurred in the states of Chhattisgarh, Assam, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh ahead of the holiday.
In a statement, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi, said the incidents highlighted a broader pattern of intolerance and violence against minorities in India.
“The persecution of minorities in India is a matter of deep concern,” the statement said. It referred to “recent condemnable incidents of vandalism during Christmas as well as state-sponsored campaigns targeting Muslims”, including the demolition of homes and repeated lynchings.
The spokesperson particularly cited the case of Muhammad Akhlaq, a Muslim man beaten to death in 2015 in Uttar Pradesh after rumours spread that his family had stored and consumed beef. His 22-year-old son was seriously injured in the attack.
In Akhlaq’s case, “the state worked to shield the perpetrators from accountability,” the spokesperson stated, adding that such incidents “have deepened fear and alienation among Muslims.”
“The list of such victims is sadly long,” the statement said, adding that the international community should take note and take steps to protect the fundamental rights of vulnerable communities in India.
🔊PR No.3️⃣8️⃣6️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣
Press Remarks by the Spokesperson https://t.co/0uUaCfKnUp pic.twitter.com/5KENRSsykO
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) December 29, 2025
Christmas vandalism incidents
Pakistan’s Foreign Office statement followed reports in Indian media of multiple incidents targeting Christmas celebrations across several Indian states.
According to The Indian Express, a mob armed with wooden sticks vandalised Christmas decorations and installations at a shopping mall in Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh state.
“Get out of here…Go and celebrate (Christmas) in your homes!”
Christians are being harassed in India by Hindutvadis emboldened by their fascist ideology practiced by @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/jx8BMUbYuj
— Save Our Citizenships 🔻 (@LetsStopC9) December 24, 2025
The incident took place on the same day a Hindu organisation, Sarva Hindu Samaj, had called for a statewide protest, or bandh, against alleged religious conversions.
An employee of the mall, cited by The Indian Express, said that around 80 to 90 people stormed the premises, threatened staff, shouted slogans and engaged in violence.
Another employee said some women were left crying as the mob charged at people trying to stop them and shouted that they did not want to see Santa Claus. Videos of the incident later circulated on social media.
Disruptions of Christmas celebrations
Separately, The Hindu reported that members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad Bajrang Dal disrupted Christmas preparations in Assam’s Nalbari district.
Citing police, the newspaper said activists vandalised St Mary’s School in Panigaon village, burned banners and posters related to Christmas celebrations, and damaged festival items at nearby shops.
An unidentified police official, cited by The Hindu, said that the Hindu group also staged protests against Christmas celebrations and raised religious slogans. The report said some festival goods were set on fire near shops in Nalbari town.
“Sorry Christmas.” 🎄😢⚠️🙏
“Christmas is under attack in India.”
Caste Hindu goons attacked and vandalised a Christmas setup at a mall in Raipur.
The world is watching India. We are turning into a zombie society. Govts seems helpless before these goons. Pathetic situation! pic.twitter.com/WVES00sEsD
— Suraj Kumar Bauddh (@SurajKrBauddh) December 25, 2025
Bajrang Dal Nalbari district secretary Bhaskar Deka was quoted by The Hindu as saying the group did not want Christian festivals to be celebrated and objected to trade in what he described as festivals of “non-Indian origin”.
The Hindu also reported that in Kerala, Education Minister V Sivankutty had raised concerns over schools calling off Christmas celebrations under alleged pressure from Hindu far-right groups.
In Uttar Pradesh, videos circulated on social media showing individuals standing outside a church in Bareilly and reciting religious verses and slogans before Christmas, reportedly in the presence of police.
Broader ideological backdrop
The incidents have taken place against the backdrop of the growing influence of Hindu nationalist organisations in India.
In August this year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his annual Independence Day address, publicly praised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Hindu nationalist organisation that shaped his political career.
An article published by The New York Times described the RSS as having evolved from a secretive ideological group into a powerful force influencing government, media, education and civil society in India.
The report said the organisation promotes a Hindu-first agenda that has increasingly marginalised Muslims and Christians.
According to The New York Times, the RSS operates through tens of thousands of neighbourhood cells, known as shakhas, which provide ideological training and act as recruitment grounds.
Christians under attack in India
Hindut mob in Chhattisgarh, India, vandalizing and torching a church, burning down houses of Christians, a few days before Christmas.pic.twitter.com/CNoZ2Y4PQT
— Crime Reports India (@AsianDigest) December 21, 2025
Its political wing, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is now the world’s largest political party by membership.
The report said that under the political patronage of Modi, RSS affiliates have gained influence across institutions, while vigilante actions against minorities have intensified.
These include attacks on churches, disruptions of Christmas celebrations, economic boycotts of Muslims and lynchings linked to cow protection claims.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office urged the international community to pay attention to what it described as a worsening situation for minorities in India.
“The international community should take appropriate steps to help protect the fundamental rights of vulnerable communities in India,” the statement said.
