Report Says Politically Driven Violence Targets Marginalised Communities, Including Muslims, in India’s Telangana

Report Says Politically Driven Violence Targets Marginalised Communities, Including Muslims, in India’s Telangana
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A fact-finding report by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) has found that recent incidents of communal violence and social tension in the southern Indian state of Telangana form part of a broader pattern of politically driven polarisation, institutional bias and administrative failure, disproportionately affecting Adivasi, Muslim and Dalit communities.

The report, titled “Belonging, Coexistence & Fractures: Documenting State Atrocities and Fractured Coexistence in Telangana,” published on Maktoob Media, draws on field investigations, survivor testimonies, interviews with residents and activists, and reviews of official records from districts including Hyderabad, Medchal–Malkajgiri, Narayanpet, Medak, Nizamabad, Nirmal, Adilabad and Bhainsa.

According to APCR, many incidents began as local disputes over land, religious practices or administrative decisions, but later escalated into communal confrontations through organised political mobilisation, misinformation and provocative actions, often during politically sensitive periods such as elections. The report alleges that right-wing groups and affiliated local networks played a significant role in amplifying tensions.

APCR said state institutions, particularly police and district administrations, frequently failed to act impartially. It documented cases of delayed police response, alleged custodial violence, false criminal charges and pressure on victims to withdraw complaints. Oversight bodies such as the SC/ST Commission and the National Human Rights Commission were described as largely inaccessible at the local level.

The findings echo concerns raised by human rights organisations across India in recent years, including reports by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch citing selective policing, hate speech and rising communal polarisation affecting religious and caste minorities.