Since early September, the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh has witnessed a disturbing rise in anti-Muslim violence, with far-right Hindu groups organizing protests and hate campaigns targeting Muslims in the state.
Tensions erupted first over the construction of a mosque in the state’s capital of Shimla. The issue escalated after a state minister from the Indian National Congress—the main opposition party nationally, but in power in Himachal Pradesh—made inflammatory remarks in the state assembly and linked the mosque to thefts and the anti-Muslim “Love Jihad” conspiracy. Far-right groups demanded the demolition of the mosque and held mass rallies where participants shouted Islamophobic slogans, blaming Muslim immigrants for communal tensions and economic struggles. They also launched violent campaigns targeting Muslims in the state, like “Roko, Toko, Thoko,” meaning “stop, refuse, kill.”
The violence quickly spread to other parts of Himachal Pradesh. In Solan, Hindu supremacists marked Muslim-owned shops with red paint, a chilling form of identification echoing apartheid-like tactics. In Sujanpur and Panchrukhi, Muslim places of worship were threatened with destruction. In Kangra, a mob attempted to storm a mosque, vandalizing shops owned by Muslims along the way.
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