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Indian PM Narendra Modi waves at his supporters at a rally in Bengaluru
Image: MANJUNATH KIRAN/AFP via Getty Images

Hindu nationalism

Hindu nationalism has been on the rise in India since Narendra Modi came to power in 2014. The ideology is based mainly on the supremacy of Hinduism, with religious minorities in India complaining of persecution.

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All Content on this topic

A devotee returns after taking a holy dip at sangam, confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and mythological Saraswati rivers on January 13, 2025

India: Inside a Kumbh Mela Hindu pilgrimage to Ganges River

DW follows one couple as they embark on their spiritual journey in India's densely crowded Maha Kumbh Mela.
ReligionJanuary 13, 202503:51 min
A woman worships a cow as Indian Hindus offer prayers to the River Ganges

The politics behind India's beef bans

From Assam to Kerala, India's beef bans expose deep cultural, religious and political divides.
PoliticsDecember 23, 2024
Delhi, India | Hindu-Muslim conflict

How India's Hindu-Muslim conflict plays out in mosques

In India, historic mosques are becoming flashpoints for religious tensions between Hindus and Muslims.
PoliticsDecember 16, 202403:50 min
A bulldozer in New Delhi

What's next after India outlaws 'bulldozer justice?'

A court ruling against government-ordered destruction of property depends on the cooperation of local officials.
SocietyNovember 18, 2024
A bulldozer demolishes the house of a Muslim man

India: Supreme Court bans 'bulldozer justice'

India's Hindu nationalist government is accused of ordering demolitions of Muslims' properties as "punishment."
Law and JusticeNovember 13, 2024
Indian PM Narendra Modi signing his oath at a ceremony in New Delhi, India

Will India's new coalition government rein in Narendra Modi?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has won a third consecutive term, but coalition politics could leave him with less control.
PoliticsJune 13, 202404:56 min
Modi speaking at inauguration

India: Modi sworn in as prime minister for third term

Narendra Modi has taken the oath of office, ushering in his third term as the prime minister of India.
PoliticsJune 9, 2024
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C) arrives at the BJP party headquarters to deliver a victory speech, in New Delhi, India, 04 June 2024.

India: Alliance members back PM Narendra Modi for third term

Leaders of two major regional ally parties have backed a proposal to make Narendra Modi the leader of the NDA coalition.
PoliticsJune 7, 2024
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India election: What's behind the BJP's poll upset?

India's ruling BJP lost its outright majority in parliament after a spirited campaign by opposition parties.
PoliticsJune 5, 2024
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi addressing during the inauguration and foundation stone laying of various highway projects, in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

India: Will divisive rhetoric help or hurt Narendra Modi?

Narendra Modi has been criticized for his rousing speeches that critics view as a divisive attempt to get more votes.
PoliticsMay 1, 2024
People queue up to vote during the second round of voting in the six-week long national election outside a polling booth in Kochi, southern Kerala state

India election: Second phase of voting begins

The second phase of the Indian election has begun, with 160 million eligible to vote. Weather might affect the turnout.
PoliticsApril 26, 2024
DW TTP | To the point Sendung

India under Modi: An Underrated Superpower?

Where's the world's largest democracy headed under Modi's drive for superpower status?
PoliticsApril 25, 202426:06 min
Supporters of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi wear masks of his face

How Narendra Modi transformed India's image and politics

As India kicks off its general election, Narendra Modi is on course to win a third consecutive term as prime minister.
PoliticsApril 22, 202403:47 min
A man takes a selfie with a replica of the Ram Temple

India: Ram Temple inauguration stokes political controversy

The consecration of the Ram Temple was an attempt to reinforce the Hindu nationalist narrative of India's ruling BJP.
SocietyJanuary 22, 2024
Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, center left with his son Abisheik Bachchan, center right along with other chief guests sit awaiting the opening of a temple dedicated to Hindu deity Lord Ram

Newly built Hindu Ram temple exposes rift in Indian society

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated a controversial Hindu temple built on a demolished centuries-old mosque.
ReligionJanuary 22, 202403:07 min
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Ayodhya

India: Modi inaugurates controversial Ayodhya temple

Indian PM Narendra Modi attended the opening ceremony of the much-hyped temple dedicated to Hindu god Lord Ram.
PoliticsJanuary 22, 2024
In India, Hindu devotees are pouring into the city of Ayodhya for the opening of the Ram temple.

New Ram temple opens old wounds in Indian city of Ayodhya

In India, Hindu devotees are pouring into the city of Ayodhya for the opening of the Ram temple.
ReligionJanuary 19, 202403:36 min
View of Shahi Eidgah mosque in Mathura

India: Court halts mosque survey wanted by Hindu hard-liners

India's Supreme Court has stopped a survey of a 17th century mosque to ascertain if it contains Hindu relics.
PoliticsJanuary 16, 2024
Famous Bollywood writer Javed Akhtar talks to DW in Dubai, UAE

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In a DW interview, renowned Indian writer Javed Akhtar speaks about the rise of Hindu nationalism in his country.
SocietyDecember 12, 202303:52 min
Mohammad Hasnain and his son Ishaq Ameer

Indian duo seeks asylum in Pakistan amid persecution claims

Facing alleged religious persecution in India, Mohammad Hasnain and his son Ishaq Amir have fled to Pakistan.
MigrationOctober 16, 202302:30 min
Fans of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan celebrate the release of Hindi-language film ''Pathaan'', starring their hero

Does Shah Rukh Khan's fame challenge Hindu nationalism?

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan's Muslim religion has become a thorn in the side of Narendra Modi's India, say analysts.
CultureSeptember 22, 2023
Indian parliament building

Can India benefit from simultaneous elections?

The Indian government is exploring the idea of holding simultaneous elections at the national, state and local levels.
PoliticsSeptember 21, 2023
A worker removes broken glass from a window of a restaurant which was partially vandalized

India's religious violence: What's behind raging clashes?

Hindu marches followed by clashes with Muslims have become a growing concern for nominally secular India.
ReligionAugust 10, 2023
A still from Hollywood movie 'Oppenheimer'

Why Indians are angry at Oppenheimer

The movie has sparked controversy in India for quoting from the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita during a sex scene.
CultureJuly 27, 202301:55 min
Social sciences textbooks

India: History books rewritten by government

New textbooks have been altered to remove references to Gandhi's opposition to Hindu nationalism and other hot issues.
SocietyJune 6, 2023
A group of so-called cow vigilantes climb onto a truck at a toll gate in search of cows.

India's 'vegetarian nationalism' targets Muslims

"Cow vigilantes" go after butchers as part of a wider Hindu nationalist campaign against India's Muslim minority.
SocietyApril 10, 202303:19 min
In this photograph taken on January 23, 2023, Hindu fundamentalist and priest Ashok Sharma sits in front of the statues of Mahatma Gandhi's assassins Nathuram Godse and Narayan Apte at Godse temple in Meerut.

Why some in India admire Mahatma Gandhi's assassin

Nathuram Godse, who shot Mahatma Gandhi three times in the chest, is now openly feted by some. DW's Adil Bhat reports.
PoliticsJanuary 30, 202303:06 min
India | Mahatma Gandhi

What has become of Mahatma Gandhi's legacy?

Mahatma Gandhi stood for nonviolence and religious tolerance. What do his teachings mean to today's India?
PoliticsJanuary 30, 202302:44 min
Police, some in riot gear, stand near a gate at Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi, India

Indian police detain students over BBC's Modi documentary

New Delhi banned sharing links to a BBC film on PM Modi, now universities are blocking students from screening it.
Press FreedomJanuary 25, 2023
A mosque in Bihar state, India

Indian Muslims report housing exclusion

Muslim renters say widespread religious discrimination has made it extremely difficult for them to find a place to live.
SocietyOctober 4, 202203:09 min
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Why did India ban the PFI Muslim political group?

While many welcome the ban, critics say similar Hindu interest groups should be banned as well.
ReligionOctober 4, 2022
A board saying entry of Muslims is banned is placed by supporters of a Hindu organization at the Dasna Devi temple in Ghaziabad

How Hindu nationalism overshadows secularism

India is transforming from secular multicultural nation to a Hindu supremacist state, activists and minority groups say.
SocietyAugust 14, 2022
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Why India cannot risk a fallout with the Gulf

The blowback over contentious remarks on the Prophet Muhammad by two BJP officials has become a diplomatic challenge.
SocietyJune 9, 2022
Children studying at a classroom in New Delhi

Is the BJP altering textbooks to promote Hindu nationalism?

Critics slam some state BJP governments for attempting to introduce a syllabus that aligns with the party's worldview.
SocietyMay 25, 2022
Muslim students arrive to attend classes in Udupi town in Karnataka, India

How is the hijab row threatening Indian secularism?

Critics say a recent ban on hijabs in schools in Karnataka state indicates an attempt to quash religious pluralism.
PoliticsMarch 23, 2022
Indien | Narendra Modi - Einweihung Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor

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The victory in four out of five states has put the prime minister's BJP in pole position for the 2024 national election.
PoliticsMarch 10, 2022
The ruling BJP party's rally in Kolkata, India

India: Is 'Hindutva' a civilizational principle?

The difference between Hinduism and Hindu nationalism has been a topic of heated debate in India for years.
SocietyFebruary 18, 2022
An Indian parailitary soldier stands guard in a tank

Kashmir: Minority killings increase amid demographic tension

Kashmiri Hindus say they are being pressured with violence to leave the Muslim-majority region.
ConflictsOctober 13, 2021