India: Persecution of Muslims as a state policy

More than 10 million Muslims in India’s northeastern state of Assam are on the verge of a humanitarian crisis enabled by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In line with its hardline Hindutva ideology, the party has targeted Muslims through illegal mass arrests, arbitrarily demolished their homes, mosques and madrasas and imprisoned thousands in detention centres or mistreatment is commonplace. In a series of hate speeches, the state’s Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has repeatedly referred to Muslims as infiltrators from Bangladesh who will take over the state, instilling panic amongst his Hindu voters. As Islamophobic attacks continue to rise in India, we look at the victims and how laws are being weaponised to demonise the community in a bid to ensure the BJP's success in the 2026 state election.