The Foreign Office (FO) said on Monday that the persecution of minorities in India was a matter of “deep concern” following incidents of vandalism reported in the neighbouring country ahead of Christmas.

Last week, mobs armed with wooden sticks vandalised Christmas decorations at a shopping mall in central India, while right-wing groups disrupted school celebrations and burned holiday merchandise in the northeast, according to Indian media. The incidents occurred in the states of Chhattisgarh, Assam, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh ahead of the holiday.

In a statement released on Monday, the FO said, “The persecution of minorities in India is a matter of deep concern.

“Recent condemnable incidents of vandalism during Christmas, as well as state-sponsored campaigns targeting Muslims — including the demolition of their homes and repeated lynchings, notably the case of Muhammad Akhlaq, in which the state worked to shield the perpetrators from accountability — have deepened fear and alienation among Muslims,” it said.

Akhlaq, a 50-year-old man was beaten to death in India in 2015, while his 22-year-old son was severely injured after it was rumoured that the family had been storing and consuming beef in India’s Uttar Pradesh.

Last month, The Hindu reported that the Uttar Pradesh government was seeking to withdraw the case against the accused. Last week, Times of India reported that the government’s plea had been dismissed.

In its statement, the FO said, “The list of such victims is sadly long. The international community should take note of these developments and take appropriate steps to help protect the fundamental rights of vulnerable communities in India.”

Last week, The Indian Express reported that a mob stormed a mall and destroyed Christmas installations in the city of Raipur in Chhattisgarh state.

The incident occurred on the same day the Sarva Hindu Samaj organisation called for a “bandh” — a general strike — to protest alleged religious conversions and recent clashes over the burial of a person from a converted family.

“Around 80-90 people barged in,” an employee of the mall told The Indian Express, adding that the mob threatened and shouted at the staff, and “indulged in violence”.

Separately, in the Nalbari district of Assam, The Hindu reported that members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad Bajrang Dal vandalised a school and disrupted Christmas preparations. The group has been classified as a militant religious organisation by the US Central Intelligence Agency.

An unidentified police official told The Hindu that activists targeted St. Mary’s School in Panigaon village.

“The activists entered the St Mary’s School of Panigaon village and vandalised the preparation of the Christmas Day programme,” the official said. “They burnt down the banner and posters of the celebration.”