Religious minorities in India continue to face growing insecurity, despite the country’s constitutional claim of secularism. Recent incidents targeting Christmas celebrations across several states have renewed concerns about the safety of non-Hindu communities and the role of extremist groups operating with apparent impunity.
In Chhattisgarh, police confirmed that alleged Hindutva activists vandalised Christmas decorations and Santa Claus figures at a shopping mall in Raipur on Saturday. Videos shared widely on social media showed a large group entering the mall, damaging festive displays, and chanting slogans opposing Christmas symbols.
A separate incident unfolded in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly district, where members of Hindu organisations gathered outside a Christian church on Saturday night. The group recited the Hanuman Chalisa, a Hindu prayer, near the church premises. Police officers were present and recorded the gathering, but they did not intervene or disperse the crowd at the time.
"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, 2025These events follow a series of earlier controversies linked to alleged religious intolerance. In July, activists associated with the Bajrang Dal detained two Catholic nuns, Preti Mary and Vandana Francis, at Durg railway station in Chhattisgarh. The group accused them of religious conversion before handing them over to police, who later arrested the nuns.
Public anger has also followed other recent incidents, including the alleged assault of a visually impaired woman in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, over claims of religious conversion. A local leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Anju Bhargava, was named in connection with the case. In Kerala, a worker linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh disrupted a children’s Christmas carol event in Palakkad, further intensifying criticism.
Christian organisations have strongly condemned the incidents. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India described the attacks as deeply disturbing and said Christmas celebrations were taking place under a climate of fear. The bishops’ body demanded firm action against those involved and called for accountability within political and extremist organisations.
Rights advocates argue that the repeated targeting of Christian events reflects a wider pattern of intolerance. They warn that failure to act decisively risks normalising intimidation and undermining India’s commitment to religious freedom and equal citizenship.
