Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made inflammatory remarks targeting minorities, especially Muslims, in 110 out of 173 campaign speeches, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Wednesday.
The international human rights group claimed that Modi’s speeches included Islamophobic comments in over 100 instances during India’s general elections.
The HRW analyzed all campaign speeches delivered by the Prime Minister after the Model Code of Conduct came into action on March 16.
“Several BJP state governments have demolished Muslim homes, businesses and places of worship without due process and carried out other unlawful practices which have continued since the election. These demolitions are often carried out as apparent collective punishment against the Muslim community for communal classes or descent and BJP officials have dubbed them ‘bulldozer justice’,” The HRW said in its report.
Elaine Pearson, the Asia director at Human Rights Watch said, “Indian Prime Minister and BJP leaders made blatantly false claims in their campaign speeches against Muslims and other minorities.”
Muslims in India represent the world’s third-largest population of Muslims around 200 million strong.
Pearson said, “These inflammatory speeches, amid a decade of attacks and discrimination against minorities under the Modi administration, have further normalized abuses against Muslims, Christians, and others.”
In one of his most condemned speeches, Modi called Muslims “infiltrators” and “those who have more children” than other communities, suggesting that Hindus will become a minority who are in fact, 80 per cent of the population.
“Many other BJP leaders like Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Anurag Thakur, former minister for information and broadcasting made speeches inciting communal hatred and insecurity among Hindus,” the rights group said.
Pointing to the “failure” of the Election Commission of India, the HRW alleged, “The ECI failed to take action against these violations.”
The group made particular references to many such speeches Modi gave, including on May 14, when he said, “The idols of our gods are being destroyed and these infiltrators( Muslims) have threatened the security of our sisters and daughters.”
Human Rights Watch said there has been a rise in anti-Muslim hate speech and violence in India since the Modi administration took office in 2014. The surge began with Modi’s campaign promoting cow protection, leading to deadly attacks by vigilante groups. Anti-Muslim sentiment intensified with the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act protests and the spread of baseless “love jihad” claims. BJP leaders and Hindu nationalist groups have incited violence against various minorities, including Sikhs, Rohingyas, and Muslims. The Covid-19 pandemic further fueled discrimination, with false accusations of “CoronaJihad” against Muslims.
“The Indian Government’s claims of secularism and being a mother of democracy ring hollow in the face of its abusive actions against minorities,” said Pearson.
Calling for actions against discrimination, she said,“ The newly formed Government under Modi needs to reverse its discriminatory policies, act against violence and give justice to those who are affected.”
