The 2021 anti-Christian violence in Karnataka refers to the series violence against Christians by right wing Hindutva groups in the Indian state of Karnataka in 2021. The attacks increased after September 2021 when leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) declared of an "anti-conversion bill" in the state to check religious conversions. The violence again intensified over the Christmas period when right-wing mobs disrupted Christmas celebrations.[1][2] The Human rights organisation, People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) documented 39 violent incidents against Christians in Karnataka from January to November 2021, all carried out by Hindutva organizations such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Hindu Jagrana Vedike, Bajrang Dal, and Banjara Nigama.[3][4][5] The violence included physical assaults, sexual assaults against women, church vandalism, filming the attacks and later circulating the videos to celebrate.[6][7]
Christians belonging to the Dalit and adivasi communities were the most affected.[2] In many cases, the local administration and the police told Christians to stop holding prayer meetings in order to avert violence by right wing groups.[1][8] The PUCL reported that the local police and the local Kannada media had collaborated with Hindutva activists during the attacks.[6] The report also stated that the perpetrators abused their victims with casteist slurs in almost all of their attacks.[5][7]
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