WASHINGTON: The United States has condemned attacks by Hindu groups against Christians in India and reaffirmed its opposition to violence targeting people because of their faith.
The warning comes amid rising incidents of religious intolerance across India, particularly around the Christmas holiday.
A State Department spokesperson said the US government is closely monitoring religious freedom worldwide.
“We strongly condemn attacks against Christians around the world and any violence directed against people of faith,” the spokesperson told reporters.
When asked whether India might be designated a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act, the spokesperson said such decisions are based on a wide range of assessments.
“The Secretary takes into consideration all available information, including reports from civil society, advocates, religious organisations, and domestic and international human rights groups,” the spokesperson added.
Earlier in December last year, Pakistan had also expressed deep concern over attacks on Christians in India, citing incidents of vandalism and threats during Christmas celebrations.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said the incidents reflect a broader pattern of intolerance against religious minorities.
“The persecution of minorities in India is a matter of deep concern,” Andrabi said. His statement highlighted recent incidents of Christmas vandalism, as well as campaigns targeting Muslims, including home demolitions and repeated lynchings.
Christmas vandalism incidents
The US State Department spokesperson’s 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.
“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
The incident took place on the same day a Hindu organisation, Sarva Hindu Samaj, had called for a state-wide protest, or bandh, against alleged religious conversions.
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.
“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
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.
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.
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
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.
Violence against minorities in India
Media and civil society reports documented more than 80 incidents of violence, hate speech, and religious intimidation across Indian states, including Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Uttarakhand, Kerala, and New Delhi.
Many of the attacks were linked to Hindu nationalist groups, including the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bajrang Dal, the militant wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).
Religious rights ‘collapsing’ in India
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has repeatedly highlighted India’s deteriorating religious freedom conditions.
Its 2025 annual report described India’s religious rights as “collapsing” and again recommended that the State Department designate India as a CPC.
The report examined the influence of the RSS and its political wing, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on government, media, education, and civil society.
It noted that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the groups have gained considerable institutional influence, coinciding with increased vigilante actions and violence targeting religious minorities.
The incidents occur against a backdrop of growing Hindu nationalist influence in India. Modi praised the RSS during his annual Independence Day address in August, highlighting its ideological role.
The New York Times reported that RSS neighbourhood cells, known as shakhas, provide ideological training and recruitment, contributing to a rise in attacks on Christians and Muslims, economic boycotts, and lynchings.
Last December, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar faced criticism for pulling a woman doctor’s face veil during a graduation ceremony, an act widely shared on social media.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar pulled the veil of a woman while distributing appointment letters to Ayush practitioners. Even Deputy CM tried to stop him. He wouldn’t have done this if he was in his sense. There are several such videos of him behaving awkwardly. pic.twitter.com/M3za0FkQFe
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) December 15, 2025
Studies found nearly 950 hate-related incidents in the first year of the BJP’s third term, targeting religious minorities, especially Muslims and Christians.
The data reported at least 25 Muslim deaths and 173 cases of physical violence, highlighting a broader breakdown in the rule of law.
