Indian Authorities Intensify Crackdown on Muslims, Restrict Religious Freedoms
A recent study by the civil rights advocacy group Common Cause has revealed that Muslims, along with other marginalized groups like Dalits and Adivasis, are disproportionately affected by custodial torture in India, Muslim Mirror reported. The report, titled “Status of Policing in India Report 2025: Police Torture and (Un)Accountability,” found that a significant percentage of police personnel believe that minority communities are more likely to engage in criminal activities.
The survey of over 8,000 police personnel across 17 states and union territories showed that 30% have a high propensity to justify torture, with IPS officers and those who frequently conduct interrogations being the most likely to endorse the use of “third-degree methods.” Worryingly, 18% of the respondents expressed the belief that Muslims are “naturally prone” to criminal behavior, with Hindu officers being more likely to hold this view.
The report also highlighted the lack of accountability, with legal cases registered against police personnel in only 10% of reported deaths in custody between 2018 and 2022, and no convictions during this period. A 2019 report by the National Campaign Against Torture (NCAT) had previously documented 124 cases of deaths in police custody, with 60% of the victims belonging to marginalized communities, including Dalits, Adivasis, and Muslims.
Alongside the systemic bias within the police force, the Indian authorities have also been restricting the religious freedoms of Muslims. Ahead of the Eid festival, the administration in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, has imposed strict prohibitions on offering prayers on the streets, warning of severe consequences, including the cancellation of passports, for those who violate the order.
Similarly, in the Sambhal district, local authorities have banned collective prayers on residential rooftops and streets, drawing criticism from political figures and activists who argue that these measures infringe on the basic rights of individuals to practice their religion freely.
The crackdown on Muslim religious practices is not limited to Uttar Pradesh. In Indian-administered Kashmir, the authorities have barred Laylat al Qadr prayers at the region’s largest mosque, Jamia Masjid, causing “great grief and dismay” among the local community.
Concurrently, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) called on Muslims across the country to wear black armbands during the Jumatul Vida (the last Friday of Ramadan) as a silent protest against the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, which the community believes will further undermine their religious and cultural rights.
