Muslim children beaten, forced to chant Hindu slogans in India

Three Muslim children were brutally assaulted by a Hindutva extremist who forced them to chant "Jai Shri Ram" while they were playing in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

A video circulating on social media showed the man beating the children with his slippers as they cried helplessly.

The accused continued to hurl abuses at their religion while the children, terrified, chanted "Bhagwan" and "Jai Shri Ram" under duress. The perpetrator reportedly beat them for saying "Allah."

The incident was recorded by an accomplice of the extremist.

Recently, Indian authorities recently bulldozed a Muslim settlement following protests by the far-right Hindu nationalist group Bharatiya Bajrang Dal. The extremist group claimed that the Muslim houses were illegally built on a Hindu crematorium, which they described as "land jihad."

Earlier this year, Amnesty International condemned the use of “punitive demolitions” of Muslim homes and businesses as discriminative measures to intimidate the minority community. 

In November, communal violence erupted in India's Murshidabad after an offensive signboard displaying derogatory remarks about Allah was displayed at a Kartik Puja pandal in Beldanga district.

Authorities imposed a curfew and suspended internet services in a bid to control the violence.

This incidents highlight the increasing communal polarisation in India under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s rule. Critics argue that the BJP's policies have emboldened far-right elements, further marginalising India's Muslim community and fueling interfaith conflicts

During his campaign, Modi referred to Muslims as "infiltrators" and "those who have many children." In one speech, he framed the election as a choice between "Ram Rajya" (the rule of the Hindu god Ram) and "Vote Jihad."