A latest US report has noted that religious violations increased in India in 2015, blaming the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for tacitly supporting Hindu-nationalist groups in fanning intolerance against minority communities including Muslims and Christians.
The report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom said that minority communities, especially Christians, Muslims and Sikhs faced numerous incidents of intimidation, harassment and violence, mostly at the hands of Hindu nationalist groups.
Members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tacitly supported these groups and used religiously-divisive language to further inflame tensions, the report noted.
India is on a negative trajectory in terms of religious freedom.