New Delhi: A report by the South Asia Justice Campaign (SAJC) has documented alleged human rights violations against Muslims in Uttar Pradesh during August and September, ahead of the state’s 2027 Assembly election.
The first edition of Election Watch: Uttar Pradesh, 2027, published by the organisation, examined incidents reported between August 1 and September 30, 2026. SAJC said it records incidents that were reported and could be verified.
According to the report, at least 70 Muslims were shot and injured in 54 police incidents described by the organisation as “half-encounters” across 27 of Uttar Pradesh’s 75 districts. SAJC defines the term as incidents in which suspects are shot, usually in the leg, before being formally arrested. The report said 52 of those injured were accused of cow slaughter, cattle smuggling or cattle theft.
The report also said at least 152 Muslims were arrested or detained during the two-month period. It cited cases involving alleged detention over meat-related matters and arrests linked to criticism of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath online.
SAJC further documented four deaths in suspected religiously motivated hate crimes during the period and said at least 16 other Muslims were assaulted. One of the cases involved a 12-year-old boy who was allegedly attacked after refusing to chant “Jai Shri Ram”. The organisation said no arrests of attackers had been reported in 14 of the assault cases it reviewed.
The report also recorded at least 21 instances of anti-Muslim hate speech by officials and Hindu nationalist figures during August and September, including 10 statements attributed to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. These figures and classifications are based on SAJC’s monitoring and documentation.
On demolitions, SAJC said at least 34 Muslim homes, businesses and religious structures were demolished in nine incidents during the reporting period. It also highlighted the demolition of a century-old mosque in Saharanpur and alleged that people who criticised or reported the demolition faced police action.
The report additionally documented restrictions on opposition politicians, including instances of house arrest in 10 districts. According to SAJC, such actions were linked to attempts by opposition leaders to visit families of people who had allegedly died in police custody, reach sites where demolitions had taken place or attend events involving the Chief Minister.
SAJC described the report as an attempt to document incidents and provide an early-warning basis ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election. The organisation says it is a non-partisan movement focused on human rights, democracy and diversity.
