During an interview at the Indian Express Idea Exchange event on June 15, 2026, Union minister of minority affairs, Kiren Rijiju, said, “You are maligning the character of the nation by saying that Muslims are not safe in India”. However, a series of incidents that took place across the country only a few days before and after Rijiju's statement, contradict his declaration.
At the event, referring to Manmohan Singh’s 15-point programme aimed at the interests of minorities, journalist Shyamlal Yadav noted that in 2014-15, 8.71% of appointments in all central government jobs were made to minorities, and inquired about the percentage of minorities appointed in the central government from 2014-15 to the present day.
In response, Rijiju stated, “I will not look at appointments in a few organisations,” while highlighting the need to consider the overall progress of the minorities by saying, “Minorities are better off in India, 12 years after Modi became the Prime Minister. It’s the Congress and the Left ecosystem that keep hammering these slogans of minorities not being safe. The phrase ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ means that every scheme is for everyone.”
He continued, “Can anyone name a person who has left India because of religious persecution?” and thus claimed, “You are maligning the character of the nation by saying that Muslims are not safe in India.”
However, in sharp contrast to Rijiju's statement on Muslims' safety, prosperity, and wellbeing in India, over the past week, multiple videos have revealed instances of violence, intimidation, targeted harassment, and hateful communal rhetoric directed at Muslims from across the country.
Ahmedabad, June 15
On June 15 itself, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Ganesh Vanzara, a leader affiliated with the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, confronted a Muslim tenant at his residence and demanded to see his Aadhaar card. After ascertaining the man's religious identity, Vanzara allegedly ordered him to vacate the locality, invoking the widely discredited 'love jihad' conspiracy theory and accusing Muslims of targeting Hindu women.
A video of the incident shows Vanzara first asking the tenant, “Kaun ho tum?” (“Who are you?”). When the man replied that he was “Mohhamaden” (Muslim), Vanzara immediately demanded his Aadhaar card, saying, “Chal Aadhaar card la” (“Bring your Aadhaar card”). He then instructed the tenant to leave the neighbourhood, claiming that Hindu women needed protection from being ensnared in “Love Jihad” and “ultimately ending up inside the refrigerator” — an apparent reference to a high-profile murder case that has frequently been invoked in communal narratives.
Vanzara asked him to return to “his area” and chant slogans hailing “Ali Khamenei”. Then he asked the man whether he was aware who Khamenei was. When the man agreed, people laughed, and Vanzara said, “Iran mein se awaaz aani chahiye inhe ki ‘Hindustan udao’, yeh bhaag ke chale jayenge” (“If a call came from Iran saying ‘destroy India’, they would immediately run there”), he remarked, prompting laughter from those gathered. Another individual present mocked the tenant, alleging that Muslims were more informed about developments in Iran than events within India itself.
Later in the video, Vanzara claimed that the tenant paid ₹4,000 in rent and accused Hindu landlords of renting properties to Muslims out of greed, reiterating that this "endangered neighbouring Hindu women". He further alleged that Muslim migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar came to the area with ulterior motives. “Inka sab maqsad hota hai” (“They all have an agenda”), he said, adding, “In sab ka target ek hi hai” (“They all have the same target”).
Lakhimpur, June 12
On June 12, in Lakhimpur, Uttar Pradesh, at a Rashtriya Bajrang Dal meeting, provincial vice-president Dev Juneja was heard alleging that Muslim vegetable vendors systematically gather information about Hindu households and eventually track movements of Hindu women and relay that information through organised networks — for entrapping women in a 'love-jihad' relationship.
“These people in the evening wear skullcaps and pyjamas and keep tracking where our sisters and daughters are going for tuitions or coaching— this is a ‘love-jihad’ planning,” he said, while warning, “We need to pay attention and be vigilant about where our daughters and sisters are going. It's important to stay alert.” Warning that, without the awareness of what 'love-jihad' is, they [the woman in the area] might fall into the trap set by “various Wasims, Rizwans, and Abduls.”
Juneja went on to claim that Muslim men often disguise themselves as Hindus by wearing kalavas and tikas and adopting Hindu-sounding names such as “Raju”, “Rajesh” or “Karan” in order to attract Hindu women.
Another speaker at the event claimed that the Friday congregational prayers were used to mobilise Muslims against Hindus and asserted that worshippers gathered at mosques not for prayer but for other purposes. “They have only one maqsad [objective]. Every Friday they gather together in mosques for Jumma namaz, but they don’t pray to Allah,” he said. He then alleged that mosques across the country housed weapons worth crores of rupees that were purportedly stockpiled to coordinate attacks against Hindus.
The speaker claimed that anyone could inspect mosques and discover large caches of weapons, alleging that such stockpiles existed “to destroy Hindus.” He further alleged that Muslims donate money during Friday prayers to finance the procurement of weapons.
Gwalior, June 14
On June 14, in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, during a Hindu Raksh Dal expansion program, inflammatory speeches were made, dehumanising Muslims as "jihadi pigs".
Addressing the gathering, one speaker called upon attendees to unite against what he repeatedly described as “jihadi suar” (“jihadi pigs”), a derogatory term used to refer to Muslims. He alleged that Muslims sought to divide and kill Hindus, stating, “Yeh jaante hain bas ki inhe baanto aur baad mein kaato. Hum inke liye kafir hain” (“All they know is to divide us and then kill us. To them, we are infidels”).
He further urged unconditional solidarity among Hindus, declaring that Hindus must stand by one another regardless of whether a fellow community member was “right or wrong.” “Humara Hindu bhai chahe sahi ho ya galat ho, hamare liye Hindu bhai hai aur hamesha rahega” (“Whether our Hindu brother is right or wrong, he is our brother and will always remain so”), he said.
He also invoked the ‘love-jihad’ conspiracy theory, alleging that Muslims are ensnaring Hindu women. He alleges that men often report complaints about women from their family who flee, and he accuses the Hindus of not teaching women about religious practices that lead to such ‘consequences’. Further, he asserts that Muslim men specifically target Hindu women to acquire their property and dismantle Hindu families.
He cites West Bengal and Kashmir as examples, warning that if Hindus do not remain united, the future of the country and the Hindu community will be at risk. According to him, Hindus cannot survive in Muslim-dominated areas, as they are likely to be harmed or even killed. He further states that the Hindu Raksha Dal is always ready to take action against any “jihadi Muslim pigs” who seek to harm a Hindu.
Jalgaon, June 11
On June 11, Hafiz Quazim, an imam from Marul village, was allegedly threatened, harassed, and coerced into chanting Hindu religious slogans like “Jai Sri Ram” and “Jai Sita Ram” by far-right individuals in Parola, Jalgaon district of Maharashtra.
In the video, one of the hecklers, who was holding a baton, aggressively demanded, “Jai Sri Ram bol,” while pointing his finger at the Imam. The Imam responded by lowering his hands, and the heckler then asked, “Tu mere gaon mein kis liye aaya hai?” (Why have you come to my village?). The Imam replied, “Mujhe bulaya gaya hai” (I have been called).
To intimidate the Imam further, the heckler pointed to the surrounding crowd and warned him of the consequences he might face if he did not comply. Although the Imam tried to resist several times, stating quietly, “Zabardasti nahi kar sakte” (You can’t force me) and asking, “Meri baat suno” (Listen to me), the heckler continued to shout, “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj bol.” The Imam repeated this phrase as requested.
The heckler then demanded that the Imam shout, “Jai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” which the Imam did without hesitation. However, when the heckler insisted that he say, “Jai Sri Ram,” the Imam hesitated. Ultimately, succumbing to the pressure, he uttered “Jai Sri Ram” and “Jai Sita Ram.”
Following the incident, an FIR was registered at the Parola police station. Waris Pathan, the national spokesperson for AIMIM and the MLA for Byculla, Mumbai, took note of the situation. The main accused later released a video apologising for his actions.
Alt News spoke to the officer-in-charge of the case, Nilesh Sarunkhe, who stated that the FIR was filed against three accused individuals. “All three were identified and arrested, and are currently out on bail.” He confirmed that they were from the Hindu community.
Sultanpur, June second week
In Farmapur village in Sultanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, a far-right group stopped two Muslim youths riding a motorcycle and brutally assaulted them, forcing them to chant “Jai Sri Ram.”
A video of the incident surfaced on social media, in which one of the assailants could be heard saying, “How dare you not chant ‘Jai Sri Ram’ while living in Hindustan?” The two youths were were slapped, kicked, and verbally abused. As the assault continued, the victims eventually complied with the attackers' demand and chanted ‘Jai Sri Ram’ and pleaded to stop the violence, but in vain. The assailants allegedly even stole their phones.
On June 11, the victims filed an FIR regarding the incident, which reportedly occurred a few days earlier. A video statement by the area officer of Lambhua was shared on the Sultanpur Police’s X handle, where he announced that two of the attackers had been identified and that teams had been formed to nab the rest.
Purnea, June 14
A video surfaced on social media displaying a group of miscreants brutally assaulting a man and two minors in Purnea, Bihar, while accusing them of selling beef. The footage captures the victims being beaten with sticks and plastic chairs, verbally abused, and humiliated in public.
The incident took place at a hotel named Khushbu in Gokulpur Sarasi on June 14. The victims included shopkeeper Mohammad Tajammul, his son Akmal (14) and 15-year-old nephew. Footage shows the abusers forcing all three victims to do sit-ups and coerced them into admitting they were selling beef. The attackers made the victims apologise but did not stop there and continued unleashing violence upon them.
https://vimeo.com/1202886954?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci
Speaking to Alt News, Tajammul alleged that on June 14, the miscreants first ate food at his hotel. “When we asked for payment, they began to abuse me and accused me of selling beef,” he explained. “They started beating me in front of my children and showed no mercy to them either,” he said.
Tajammul also highlighted that the no other customer present at the hotel came to help him and the kids. “There were many people looking at us, but no one came to help us. Everyone stood and witnessed it," he said.
“It had been just 2 months since I have started this hotel, but after the incident we returned to our native village in Katihar, and we haven’t opened the hotel in five days.” Tajammul further alleged that the goons have confiscated the keys to his shop, “They shut down my hotel and took the keys as well. If I wouldn’t have given the keys, they perhaps would've killed us."
The investigation which followed Tajammul's FIR revealed that there were no traces of beef in the hotel. On June 17, the Purnea police issued a press release regarding the incident and the findings from the investigation through their social media accounts.
The police arrested one of the assailants on June 18, identified as Manish Kumar, a 27-year-old resident of Mehinagar. With help from sources, Alt News identified another miscreant from the group as Ahir Abhijeet Yadav.
Investigation is underway to nab the rest.
All these videos were uploaded by the perpetrators themselves before being deleted, either due to public outrage or following legal intervention.
These six incidents of direct violence, hateful speech, and a systematic dehumanising rhetoric based on unsubstantiated allegations not only endanger the safety and dignity of Muslims, but portraying the entire community as inherently hostile and dangerous. They bring under scrutiny the veracity of Rijiju's June 15 statement.
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