The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Saturday called for fast-track trials in cases of alleged religiously motivated attacks on Hindus, tighter regulation of madrasas and installation of high-resolution surveillance cameras at mosques and madrasas in “sensitive areas”.

Claiming that 254 Hindus had been killed by “jihadis” across the country in the first eight months of this year, the RSS affiliate called upon Hindus living in sensitive areas to “remain vigilant and prepared for self-defence”.

At a press conference in New Delhi, VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain released a 26-page list of 254 cases that the organisation said it had compiled from media reports of killings between January and August 31, 2026. The document gives the date and place of each incident, names of the victim and accused, and links to reports published by various media organisations.

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The VHP has classified those on the list as Hindus killed by “jihadis”. The document itself, however, includes cases arising from a range of circumstances. For instance, some of the linked reports concern murders following personal or financial disputes, while others involve allegations of communal or religiously motivated violence. The classification is VHP’s.

Jain said the list covered only cases that were reported in the media and claimed that several other such incidents had not received media coverage.

“The fact that such a large number of Hindus have been killed by jihadis, despite efforts by ‘Ram-bhakt’ governments in several states to curb this deadly trend over the past decade, should be a matter of concern for all patriotic and nationalist Bharatiyas,” Jain said.

The VHP demanded that cases of attacks on Hindus found to have been driven by religious hatred be sent to fast-track courts and that those convicted receive swift and stringent punishment.

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It also demanded that minors accused of murder and serious offences allegedly motivated by religious hatred be tried as adults, alleging that minors were being used to commit violence in the expectation that they would receive lighter punishment.

Calling madrasas centres for the propagation of “religious fanaticism and hatred”, the VHP sought stringent regulation of such institutions. It also called for high-resolution cameras to be installed in “sensitive areas, mosques and madrasas”, with their monitoring linked to local police stations.

Jain said Hindus were the principal targets of “jihadis” in India and called upon those living in and around sensitive areas to “remain alert and watchful and prepared for self-defence”.

The VHP and Bajrang Dal, he said, were considering “constitutional measures” for the protection of Hindus, without elaborating.

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Jain praised Flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his actions in thwarting an alleged terror plot, saying the VHP gave him a “standing ovation” for his “bravery and nerve”. The organisation claimed his actions had prevented a “9/11-style” attack and called for a coordinated international strategy against “Islamist terrorism”.

The statement came on the same day that the ABVP, another Sangh-affiliated organisation, demanded that Machchhar be awarded the Ashoka Chakra.

Jain further alleged that “appeasement” pursued in the name of secular politics had aggravated the problem of Islamist radicalism in India. Citing attacks on Hindu religious events, alleged “love jihad” cases and attacks on Hindu settlements, he called upon people to rise above partisan considerations to confront what the VHP described as a growing threat.