New York: International Human Rights watchdog denounced BJP-led Modi government for intensifying multiple level of human rights violations in India. Human Rights Watch an international non-governmental organization published a report recently on title “World Reports 2021: Rights trends in India’. It highlights the incidents happened during the rule of BJP led government at center.
Human Rights Watch said in its World Report 2023, Indian authorities intensified and broadened their crackdown on activist groups and the media in 2022. The Hindu nationalist BJP led government used abusive and discriminatory policies to repress Muslims and other minorities.
Indian authorities arrested activists, journalists and other critics of the government on politically motivated criminal charges including terrorism.
They harassed rights groups through tax raids, allegations of financial irregularities, and use of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, which regulates foreign funding of Non-Governmental Organizations.
The authorities in several BJP ruled states demolished Muslim houses and properties without legal authorization or due process as summary punishment for protests or alleged crimes.
South Asia Director at HRW Meenakshi Ganguly said, “BJP government’s promotion of Hindu majoritarian ideology provokes authorities and supporters to engage in discriminatory and at times violent actions against religious minorities”.
“The authorities should be reining in party members and supporters responsible for abuses instead of jailing critics and shutting down rights groups.” Indian authorities misused laws, forbidding forced religious conversion to target Christians, especially from Dalit and Adivasi communities.
In August 2022, BJP government approved the early release of 11 Hindu men sentenced to life in prison for the gang rape of a pregnant Muslim woman and murder of 14 members of her family during the 2002 anti-Muslim riots.
BJP affiliates celebrated publicly, prompting widespread condemnation. The action highlighted the government’s discriminatory stance towards minority communities even in cases of violence against women.
After the revocation of Article 370 and 35 A, Indian government continued to restrict free expression, peaceful assembly, and other basic rights in Indian Occupied Kashmir. The authorities invoked Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, as well as terrorism allegations under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act to conduct raids and arbitrarily detain journalists and activists and even barred a Pulitzer prize-winning Kashmiri journalist from leaving India without justification.
Meanwhile, HRW noted, “Supreme Court did not reach a verdict on whether Muslim female students can wear a hijab or headscarf in educational institutions in BJP led Karnataka state, with two judges expressing opposing views.”
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