Christmas festivities in India have been overshadowed by acts of vandalism, intimidation, and violence by right-wing Hindutva groups this year, whether it’s in Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and even Kerala. You can read our reports on such acts committed by members of the Bajrang Dal, VHP and others here and here.

In a statement released on December 23, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), an association of Catholic Bishops in India, expressed anguish at “the alarming rise in attacks on Christians in various states of our country during the Christmas season.” 

The CBCI added: “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.”

These incidents stand in stark contrast to the visuals of Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending Christmas Day celebrations at the Cathedral Church of Redemption in Delhi on Thursday, where he participated in prayers alongside a large congregation of Christians. 

It was interesting to observe the reaction of our primetime TV media anchors. Reports on vandalism competed on television screens with images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending Christmas Day prayers at Delhi’s Cathedral Church of Redemption. Most anchors called the attackers ‘fringe’, applauded the Prime Minister’s optics, and refused to confront the obvious: the violence comes from the same political ecosystem they defend nightly — one Modi has the power to rein in.

Rahul Shivshankar, CNN News18

In his monologue last night, the editorial affairs director of CNN News18 said that Modi paid “homage to that all-embracing pluralism that makes us great” when he attended Christmas festivities, while criticising “fringe groups” like the Bajrang Dal for “wrecking our unity”.  

It should be noted here that Bajrang Dal is no fringe organisation. It is the youth wing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and a member of the Sangh Parivar — the broader ideological family that functions as the ruling party’s organisational backbone.

Yet Shivshankar treated the group’s links to the Sangh Parivar as merely a claim, saying the BJP must “do more to criticise and discourage” them as though these organisations operate independently of the political power that shields them.

What went unsaid: if the Prime Minister and his party wanted to act, they could.

Aman Chopra, News18 India

Aman Chopra, a repeat offender when it comes to communalising any issue, lambasted those involved in acts of violence during Christmas festivities – calling them “worthless”, “foolish”, “crazy”, “ill-mannered”, “stupid”, and “paid goons”. 

He altogether avoided naming the organisations they belonged to, such as the Bajrang Dal, VHP, and BJP.

He accused Chandrashekhar Azad of the Bhim Army and Congress's Pawan Khera of being among those waiting to ‘target’ and ‘defame’ Hindus. He argued that while they readily attributed the Christmas violence to "Hindutvavadi Aatank" (Hindutva terrorism), they remain silent when Jews are attacked in Sydney or Hindus in Pahalgam by perpetrators shouting "Allah Hu Akbar."

In fact, he noted that their actions have given ammunition to those who remained conspicuously silent (whose "phones were on aeroplane mode") during violence against minorities in countries like Bangladesh, now allowing them to condemn the entire Hindu community in India.

Chopra argued that Modi's attendance at Christmas festivities had “punctured” the Opposition’s narrative of rising intolerance and violence against minorities in India. 

Unsurprisingly, he claims not to know who organised these attacks on Christmas festivities, saying they could be hired goons instead of naming the right-wing Hindutva organisations they belonged to.

Shweta Singh, Aaj Tak

In her monologue, Shweta Singh, of ‘nanochip’ fame, highlighted Modi's frequent contact and close involvement with the Christian community in India while discussing his visit to the Cathedral Church of Redemption. She said the images of Modi in church take on great significance because the Opposition criticises him for participating in Hindu religious events like the Ram Temple inauguration. “The nature of India includes the faith of all religions,” she remarked. 

“When Modi visits a Hindu temple, goes to Church on Christmas, wishes Muslims on Eid, wears a turban and visits Gurdwaras during Sikh festivals, he completely defines the Constitution of India to the world,” she argued, without a hint of irony. She then goes on to compare the population share of Muslims and Christians in this country and how, since 1951, the share of Muslims has increased while the share of Christians has remained the same. 

She also claimed that the vote bank politics that happens with Muslims doesn't occur with Christians or other religious minorities – a complete fabrication.    

On these acts of violence and vandalism during Christmas festivities, she says they have no place in today's world. “If 200 years of British rule couldn't erase Bharat's culture, those who feel that celebrating Christmas is a danger to the Hindu community are totally wrong,” she noted. Like Chopra, however, she made no mention of Bajrang Dal, VHP, or the BJP. 

Rajdeep Sardesai, India Today 

Sardesai was the exception. He called out “the politics of hate, bigotry, and indeed, in some instances, violence” that marked Christmas festivities this year.  

He explicitly named the Bajrang Dal and VHP as part of the Sangh Parivar and warned that Modi’s church visit would amount to “lip service” if not followed by concrete action.

Sardesai said: “...they keep targeting Christian schools, establishments, especially in tribal areas, in the belief that they have some kind of immunity from the law. Make no mistake, these groups are part of a wider ideological mindset.” The word immunity is key. It points to the fact that such violence persists not despite power, but because of it.  

Shiv Aroor, NDTV 

Before his primetime debate last night, Aroor, the Managing Editor of NDTV, remarked unabashedly that his channel has “declared a war against hate because whether it is in Chhattisgarh, whether it is in Uttar Pradesh, or whether it is in Delhi”. 

In the NDTV Bureau report following the first half of Aroor's monologue, the channel noted, “The PM apparently sent a strong message by participating in Christmas celebrations. Still, the message has been lost to right-wing groups who bring disrepute to the country and culture with their petty bigotry. Why are these loonies given a free run by these State governments?” 

Again, Aroor called out “fringe groups” like the VHP and Bajrang Dal, as well as “a BJP leader”, stating these acts of vandalism and violence represented the most “shameful stain” on this year's Christmas celebrations. He noted that these attacks occurred on the same day the Prime Minister was in church, reaching out to the Christian community. 

Yet even here, the tirade stopped short of its logical conclusion: who controls those state governments, and who sets the political tone that enables this impunity.

Madhavdas G, Times Now

Madhvadas, senior executive editor at Times Now, praised Modi’s attendance at Christmas festivities, stating that the visuals from the Cathedral Church of Redemption, “had a message of Sabka Saath, a message of unity”.   

“However, what we saw happening in other parts of the country was quite shocking. A day that was meant to be a celebration turned out to be a nightmare for some,” he said, showcasing visuals of the different acts of violence and vandalism committed in different parts of India.

He even raised the Opposition's criticism of Modi, noting their argument that "while the PM gives a message of unity and Sabka Saath, his ideological army is attacking Christians on Christmas Day".

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