- Home
- न्यूजग्राम
- NewsGram USA
- India
- World
- Politics
- Entertainment
- Culture
- Lifestyle
- Economy
- Sports
- Sp. Coverage
- Misc.
- NewsGram Exclusive
- Jobs / Internships
Key Points
Members allegedly linked to Bajrang Dal threatened Christian women and children wearing Santa hats in Lajpat Nagar, accusing them of religious conversion and forcing them to leave the market.
Rights groups and monitoring reports point to a broader, documented rise in attacks, harassment and hate speech against Christians and Muslims, particularly around religious festivals.
Data from civil society organisations shows hundreds of incidents annually, with low FIR registration against mobs and increasing use of anti-conversion laws against minorities.
A group of Christian women and children wearing Santa Claus hats were threatened by Bajrang Dal members in Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar on 22 December 2025, after being accused of religious proselytisation. The incident, captured in a widely circulated video, has reignited concerns for minority religious expression in public places.
According to posts shared on X, the group was stopped while walking through the market and told that such activities should be carried out “at home” and not in public. The video shows the women and children appearing distressed as they are shouted at and forced to leave. Some posts alleged that the men misbehaved with the women during the exchange. Delhi police has stated that, as of now, no formal complaint has been lodged by either side.
The confrontation took place during peak Christmas shopping days, when festive attire and decorations are common across Indian cities. However, the Lajpat Nagar episode reflects a pattern seen in recent years, where Santa hats, Christmas carols and public celebrations have increasingly drawn objections from right-wing groups, often framed as resistance to “illegal conversions”.
The Bajrang Dal has been linked to similar disruptions in the past. In 2024, incidents were reported across multiple states, including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Haryana, where individuals or groups celebrating Christmas were allegedly forced to stop or disperse. In Mumbai, members of the organisation disrupted a children’s Christmas event, insisting that the children recite the Hanuman Chalisa instead of participating in Christmas celebrations.
In Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar, witnesses told reporters that the women and children were simply wearing Santa hats while walking through the market. Videos circulating online show men surrounding them, questioning their intentions and alleging that interacting with people while wearing such attire amounted to an attempt at conversion. Despite the women stating that they were only celebrating their faith, they eventually left the area to avoid further escalation.
Bajrang Dal leaders have repeatedly claimed that such acts of moral policing and intimidation are aimed at preventing 'forced' or 'fraudulent conversions'.
The Lajpat Nagar incident comes against the backdrop of recent data documenting a rise in 'hate crimes' and 'hate speech' targeting religious minorities. A report published by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) recorded 141 hate crime incidents and 102 hate speech incidents across India between June and August 2025 alone. The report noted that such incidents are no longer isolated but have become routine, often involving organised mobs.
According to the APCR’s findings, mobs were involved in 115 of the reported hate crime incidents. Victims were frequently forced to chant religious slogans, physically assaulted or publicly humiliated. Attacks on religious structures were also documented, with 19 incidents involving mosques, churches or shrines during the three-month period. Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of cases, followed by Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.
The report further stated that organisations such as Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) were linked to a significant number of these incidents, alongside other Hindutva groups and politicians associated with the ruling BJP. In around 20 cases, the police were found to be either complicit or biased towards the accused, according to the documentation.
Separate data compiled by the United Christian Forum (UCF) highlights a steep rise in violence against Christians over the past decade. Recorded incidents increased from 139 in 2014 to 834 in 2024, with nearly 5,000 cases documented over a 12-year period. In 2025 alone, more than 700 incidents were reported between January and November, affecting churches, schools, hospitals and Christian families.
The UCF data shows that Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh together accounted for nearly half of all reported incidents. Despite the scale of violence, only a small fraction of cases resulted in FIRs against members of mobs. In contrast, a large number of FIRs were filed against Christians themselves, often under anti-conversion laws. Hundreds of individuals were arrested under these provisions, particularly in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Rights groups have repeatedly pointed out that the fear of retaliation and administrative inaction discourages victims from filing complaints, contributing to a climate of impunity.
Civil liberties groups note that religious festivals have increasingly become flashpoints for communal tensions. In the days leading up to Christmas in 2024, protests and disruptions were reported in Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. In Palakkad, Kerala, activists linked to the VHP and Bajrang Dal stormed a government school celebrating Christmas, verbally abusing teachers and questioning festive attire. Police later arrested three activists and booked them under provisions related to disrupting public duty and intimidation.
In Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer and Jodhpur, VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders protested Christmas programmes in schools, alleging conversion attempts and tearing down event posters. In Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, objections were raised over dressing the idol of Lord Laddu Gopal in Christmas-themed clothing, with right-wing leaders calling for a ban on such outfits.
In Punjab’s Ludhiana, a Christian pastor conducting prayers in a private home was confronted by a local political leader, who accused him of conversion activities. Though the incidents varied in form, they reflected a common theme: heightened scrutiny and hostility towards minority religious practices during festive periods.
In Delhi, civil society organisations have noted a rise in similar incidents over the past year, since the BJP government came into power, with public spaces increasingly becoming sites of ideological enforcement. In December 2025, at least two other incidents were reported where mobs raided meat shops and hawkers in the NCR region. In such cases, mobs have been seen demanding that workers and owners – Muslims in most cases – clearly display their identity, or stop selling meat altogether.
While police often describe such situations as minor law-and-order issues, activists argue that repeated confrontations, even without formal complaints, contribute to an atmosphere of fear and exclusion.
The Lajpat Nagar incident, though brief and unresolved in legal terms, has once again drawn attention to the lived reality behind the data compiled by rights groups. As Christmas approaches, minority communities and civil liberties advocates have called for stronger safeguards to ensure that festive celebrations, whether public or private, do not become grounds for intimidation or vigilantism.
For now, with no FIR registered and investigations limited to verifying viral footage, the episode stands as another reminder of how symbols as simple as Santa hats can become flashpoints in India’s increasingly polarised public sphere.
Suggested Reading:
