Genocide Warning: Hindu Extremists Call for Genocide Against Christians
February 24, 2025
Hindutva leaders have called for the killing of Christians on March 1, 2025, across three villages in the state of Chhattisgarh, India: Bishrampur, Janakpur, and Ganeshpur.
One leader, Aadesh Soni, declared that the plan is to rape and kill all Christian men, women, and children in the villages. He calls for Christian leaders to be executed and any trace of Christianity erased from the region.
Aadesh Soni defends his call for genocide by accusing Christians of engaging in the slaughter of cows, a revered animal in Hinduism. Soni has urged his followers to rally at least 50,000 people for the scheduled attack on March 1, 2025. He asserts that local authorities support this genocidal initiative.
Another leader Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati ordered Hindus to kill all Christians. He called upon 1,000 Hindus to rise and “slay those who slay our mother cow.”
Violent attacks on minority communities in India, particularly Christians and Muslims, have been rising in recent years. In 2024, there were 834 incidents targeting Christians, a notable rise compared to 2023, which saw 734 such attacks.
On June 12, 2024 a Hindutva mob in Chhattisgarh, attacked Christian families, threatened them, and gave them a 10-day ultimatum to renounce their faith.
In July 2024, a Hindu mob attacked a pastor in Chhattisgarh state. On December 27, 2024, members of the Vishva Hindu Prasad (VHP), a right-wing Hindu militant group, forcibly converted a Christian Dalit man to Hinduism and paraded him in Uttar Pradesh. VHP members raised slogans such as “Jesus murdabad” or “Death to Jesus.”
The United Nations has raised concerns about discrimination and violence against religious minorities in India.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recommended that the US designate India as a "Country of Particular Concern" due to its ongoing and severe violations of religious freedom.
Genocide Watch recommends:
The Indian police must send armed guards to protect Christians in threatened villages.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi must publicly denounce these threats against Christians.
Members of the Indian and international press should report on this threat of genocide.