New York
Prominent rights watchdog, Human Rights Watch has said that the authorities in India have adopted laws and policies that systematically discriminate against Muslims and stigmatize critics of the government.
The HRW in a report released today said the prejudices embedded in the government of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have infiltrated independent institutions, such as the police and the courts, empowering nationalist groups to threaten, harass, and attack religious minorities with impunity.
The HRW’s report came days ahead of February 23, which marks the first anniversary of anti-Muslim riots in New Delhi, where 53 people were killed, 40 of them were Muslims. The violence came after protests started against India’s Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), passed in 2019 that excludes Muslims.
“Instead of conducting a credible and impartial investigation, including into allegations that BJP leaders incited violence and police officials were complicit in attacks, the authorities have targeted activists and protest organizers.
The authorities have lately responded to another mass protest, this time by farmers, by vilifying minority Sikh protesters and opening investigations into their alleged affiliation with separatist groups,” the report said.
“The BJP’s embrace of the Hindu majority at the expense of minorities has seeped into government institutions, undermining equal protection of the law without discrimination,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
“The government has not only failed to protect Muslims and other minorities from attacks but is providing political patronage and cover for bigotry.”
The report said the February 2020 attacks in Delhi had followed months of peaceful protests by Indians of all faiths against the government’s discriminatory citizenship law and proposed policies.—KMS
