A rash of attacks on Christians and others celebrating Christmas across the country has prompted the Opposition to accuse the BJP of “gifting venom and hatred” during festivities and allege that the Narendra Modi government was deceiving the minorities.
A key outfit of bishops appealed to Union home minister Amit Shah to strictly enforce the law to protect Christians.
Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal posted on X: “This is the true face of the BJP’s rabid hatred towards Christianity. Their leaders will go to any lengths to insult minorities in India, even if that means attacking a blind lady.”
He listed several incidents in BJP-ruled Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
Venugopal added: "Yesterday, RSS workers also attacked a children’s carol choir in Palakkad, Kerala, where the BJP is proving day after day that it is nothing but a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
“PM Modi has been putting up a great farce for years, pretending to show newfound love for Christians, but his party and the Sangh Parivar reveal their true character every single time.
“Venom and hatred are the BJP’s gift during Christmas. It is a warning to all minorities that the BJP’s parochial, hate-filled agenda cannot tolerate India’s pluralism and will relentlessly attack everyone who doesn't fit into their hate-filled worldview.”
Kerala, where Christians make up 18.4 per cent of the population, goes to the polls next year. The BJP has made inroads in the state, winning a Lok Sabha seat and the Thiruvananthapuram municipal corporation.
In Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur, several Hindutva groups conducted “raids” on churches and other institutions when Christmas charitable outreach and prayers were in progress. Videos of BJP district vice-president Anju Bhargava aggressively holding a visually impaired woman by her face while confronting her for attending a Christmas meal have gone viral.
In Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district, non-Christian locals have banned the entry of Christian priests in several villages, a week after a church was attacked and arson carried out in retaliation against a Christian man burying his father according to the rites of his faith.
Several Odia channels have telecast a video of men evicting hawkers for selling Santa caps and saying that this was not allowed in a “Hindu Rashtra”.
In Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar market, a video of men threatening women and children wearing Santa caps has also been widely condemned.
AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bhardwaj shared the video and said: “I know thousands of such uncles who are spreading hate in India in the name of religion, abusing Christmas and Santa Claus here. But their kids are celebrating Christmas with gusto in America, Australia and Europe and sending dollars to these venom-filled parents.”
An undated video of Satyanisht Arya, formerly Sunnyur Rahman, heckling a pastor in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad is also doing the rounds online.
Rahman, a self-proclaimed atheist from Bangladesh during the Shahbag movement, has been in India for several years to escape the threats to him at home. He has since become a Hindu and is known for provocative acts and statements against other religions.
Trinamool tweeted a montage of these incidents, juxtaposed with celebrations in Calcutta. The party posted on X: “In BJP-ruled states, celebrating Christmas has become a crime. Women are abused and humiliated simply for wearing Santa caps. Vigilante groups roam free, hate is rewarded, and the silence of those in power is deafening.
“This is the reality of @BJP4India’s rule: fear, intimidation and moral policing, especially against women and minorities. And then there is Bengal. Where streets glow with festive lights. Where every festival is celebrated with joy, dignity and harmony.”
The Catholic Bishops Conference of India said in a statement: “These targeted incidents, especially against peaceful carol singers and congregations gathered in churches to pray, gravely undermine India’s constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion and the right to live and worship without fear.”
Expressing shock at the Jabalpur raids, the CBCI said: “In light of such egregious and dehumanising conduct, the CBCI demands the immediate dismissal of Anju Bhargava from the Bharatiya Janata Party. Equally disturbing is the circulation of hate-filled digital posters in Chhattisgarh, reportedly calling for a bandh on December 24, 2025, against Christians, which can inflame tensions and incite further violence.”
The group added: “CBCI earnestly requests the Hon’ble Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah ji, to ensure strict enforcement of law and proactive protection for Christian communities so that the joyful festival of Christmas may be celebrated peacefully, in an atmosphere of security and harmony, across our beloved nation.”
In Uttarakhand’s Haridwar, a hotel owned by the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Corporation had to cancel bookings for Christmas celebrations after threats from the Shri Ganga Sabha — a local Hindu outfit.