Statues of 17th-century king Shivaji have been erected across various Indian cities over the past few years by Hindu nationalist groups, who view him as a symbolic defender of Hindus against Muslims. The campaign marks another act of intolerance toward Muslim and Christian minorities, who have been targeted since the Bharatiya Janata Party took power 12 years ago.
A few hundred men paraded on motorcycles through the streets of Sangareddy, in the southern Indian state of Telangana, on May 29, 2026. They were supporters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS, the foremost organisation within the Hindu nationalist movement and the ideological backbone of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – the Hindu nationalist party of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
