The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Saturday demanded stringent action against what it described as "extremist forces", claiming that 254 Hindus were killed in alleged attacks between January 1 and August 31 this year, PTI reported.
Addressing a press conference, VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain demanded that cases involving attacks on Hindus allegedly driven by religious hatred be referred to fast-track courts and that those convicted be given stringent punishment without delay.
Jain also called for minors accused of violence or murder in cases allegedly motivated by religious hatred to be tried as adults.
"Legal proceedings for barbaric acts -- such as murder and attacks motivated by religious hatred -- must mandatorily treat these individuals as adults," he said.
Jain alleged that attacks on Hindu religious events, the abduction of Hindu women through force or deception under the guise of "Love Jihad", and assaults on Hindu settlements had become frequent.
"There appears to be no end to the pattern of killing Hindus by extremists on one pretext or another," he said while releasing a list of alleged attacks and killings of 254 Hindus during the first eight months of the year.
Jain said the number of deaths should concern people despite what he described as efforts by "Ram-bhakt" governments in several states over the past decade to curb the trend, the PTI report said.
He appealed to people to rise above what he called a "partisan mindset and vested interests" and work to protect the country from the crisis.
Urging Hindus to remain vigilant, Jain claimed that they were the "primary targets" of extremist forces and called on them to exercise caution and remain prepared for self-defence.
According to the report, the VHP also demanded stringent regulation of madrasas, alleging that they served as "hubs for religious fanaticism and the propagation of hatred". Jain cited bans on madrasas in several countries and referred to a recent Rajasthan High Court observation on their regulation.
He also called for high-resolution cameras to be installed in sensitive areas, mosques and madrasas, with monitoring systems linked to local police stations.
The VHP further sought monitoring of organisations and politicians that, according to Jain, encourage radicalism and called for curbs on their alleged anti-social activities.
Jain appealed to what he described as the "peace-loving leadership" within the Muslim community to acknowledge terrorist and separatist plots rather than deny or cover them up. He urged them to abandon what he termed separatist and extremist tendencies and work towards peaceful coexistence.
"The Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal cannot remain mere spectators to these states of affairs. We are considering constitutional measures to ensure the protection of Hindus," he said.
The VHP also praised Indian Captain Smit Machchhar for what it described as his "bravery and nerve" in averting an alleged mid-air crash attempt by his co-pilot aboard flydubai flight FZ1073.
Machchhar was attacked and seriously injured by his Omani co-pilot in the cockpit of the flight, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 people on board. The aircraft was subsequently diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
Jain described the incident as another "9/11-style extremist conspiracy and catastrophe" and said radicalisation posed a challenge to humanity.
He called for the international community to adopt a unified strategy to combat global terrorism on land, sea and air.
(With inputs from PTI)