INDIA

The Uttar Pradesh government demolished the Madni Mosque in Kushinagar’s Kata area on February 9, citing encroachment on government land. The move followed a complaint by Hindutva workers and the expiration of a high court stay order on February 8. Authorities had asked the mosque committee for ownership documents, but they failed to provide them. A heavy police force, including BSF personnel, oversaw the demolition using five bulldozers. The mosque committee claimed the land was purchased 15 years ago, but a district survey found part of it on government property. Three committee members were booked for allegedly forging documents. The mosque, a key religious center for over two decades, served as a hub for Islamic education and the Tablighi Jamaat. Its demolition has sparked ten...

The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Tihar Jail authorities in response to a petition filed by Kashmiri separatist leader Nayeem Ahmad Khan.  The petition seeks the restoration of his Inmate Phone Call System and E-Mulaqat facilities, which were revoked in 2023. Khan’s counsel informed the court that he has been lodged in Tihar Jail since 2017, and the ban on communication has severely impacted his ability to stay in touch with his family. The court subsequently sought a response from the concerned authorities regarding the matter. [KNT]

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has called on Hindus to prioritize their cultural traditions by wearing traditional attire, avoiding English, and limiting travel to local areas. Speaking at the Hindu Religious Convention in Cherukolppuzha, Kerala, on February 6, Bhagwat emphasized the need for Hindus to align their daily lives with traditional values. According to The Print, Bhagwat urged Hindu families to assess their lifestyle choices weekly, ensuring they remain rooted in indigenous customs. He encouraged prioritizing local culture, cuisine, and clothing over Western influences. While inaugurating the Hindu Ekta Sammelan, part of the 113th Hindu Religious Convention, Bhagwat spoke about the foundational values of Hinduism, stating that it is built on truth, k...

A 27-year-old Muslim student from Aliah University, Rezaul Islam Mondal, was assaulted by 10–12 men on a Sealdah-bound train in West Bengal. The attackers, reportedly linked to Hindutva groups, beat him, pulled his beard, and accused him of being a “Bangladeshi." Rezaul, a final-year M.Tech student from Hooghly’s Meshera village, was returning from the Bishwa Ijtema gathering in Bangladesh with four friends when the attack occurred. It began after a dispute over luggage space escalated, with the group attempting to force him from his seat and hurling communal slurs. For nearly an hour, they punched and kicked him, removed his skullcap, and threatened to throw him off the moving train. When his friend, Sajid Mirza, tried to record the attack, he was also threatened. Rezaul initiall...

Since the BJP-led government took power in 2014, hate crimes against Muslims in India have seen a sharp rise. According to Muslim Mirror, around 85% of the perpetrators have been linked to the BJP or its affiliated Hindu organizations. In several cases, law enforcement agencies have either remained unresponsive or acted against the victims. Muslim Mirror has been documenting hate crimes against India’s 200 million Muslims. Their goal is to systematically record details such as the date, location, motive, victim, perpetrator, and legal action taken. This database will serve as a resource for journalists, academics, and human rights activists to track incidents, analyze trends, and push for accountability, contributing to a more just and inclusive society. January 1, 2025 On ...

Zakariya, a Muslim youth from Kerala, has remained behind bars for 16 years without a conviction under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Arrested at the age of 19 for alleged involvement in the 2008 Bengaluru blasts, he continues to be incarcerated in Karnataka despite a lack of evidence and the retraction of key witness statements. On February 5, 2009, Zakariya, a resident of Calicut, was taken into custody by Karnataka Police while on his way to work in Malappuram. His family remained unaware of his whereabouts until four days later, when he managed to inform them of his arrest. Authorities accused him of providing technical assistance for the bombings, but his trial has dragged on without a verdict. Human rights activists and his family have been advocating for his re...

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha engaged with youth from the North-Eastern states visiting Jammu under the Students' Experience in Inter-State Living (SEIL) initiative, organized by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Addressing the gathering at the Convention Centre, he urged young people to work collectively toward a developed (Viksit) India. Sinha emphasized the importance of including marginalized communities in the nation's progress, encouraging youth to align their aspirations with national development goals. He praised ABVP’s efforts in fostering national unity, highlighting SEIL’s role since its inception in 1965 in bridging geographical and cultural distances. The program, operating under the motto One Nation - One People - One Culture, aims to strengthen emotional ti...

The report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill is set to be tabled in the Lok Sabha on Monday. According to a bulletin from the Lok Sabha Secretariat, Committee Chairman Jagdambika Pal and member Sanjay Jaiswal will present the report in the House. The committee had submitted it to Speaker Om Birla on Thursday after adopting it a day earlier. The report includes 14 amendments proposed by members of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). JPC Chairperson Pal confirmed that these changes were approved by a majority vote, with 16 members in favor and 10 against. Opposition MPs had also proposed amendments, but they were rejected. The Waqf Amendment Bill seeks to revise the Waqf Act of 1995, which governs the management of Waqf properties...

Zakia Jafri, widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, passed away on February 1, 2025. A survivor of the 2002 Gujarat pogrom, she spent decades seeking justice for the brutal killing of her husband, who was lynched by a Hindutva mob during the violence in Gujarat's Gulbarg Society. Human rights activist Teesta Setalvad announced her death on social media, calling her a “compassionate leader” in the struggle for justice. Zakia Jafri’s legal battle began in 2006 when she filed a complaint against then-Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders, alleging their complicity in the massacre. Her case led to a Supreme Court-mandated reinvestigation and the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The Gulbarg Society killings, among the most horrific episodes of...

Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane has demanded a ban on wearing the burqa during the upcoming Class 10 and 12 state board examinations, citing security concerns and the potential for cheating. In a letter to Maharashtra’s School Education Minister Dada Bhuse, Rane argued that religious attire should be restricted to homes and places of worship, asserting that burqas could be used to conceal electronic devices or paper chits for cheating. He suggested deploying female police officers or staff to conduct security checks if necessary. Speaking to the media, Rane insisted that no religious group should receive special treatment, stating that if students from other communities do not wear religious attire in educational institutions, Muslim students should not be an excep...