India election: Modi’s party accused of demonising Muslims in video
Police in India have launched an investigation against top leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) following a social media post that critics say unfairly portrays Muslims. The post, an animated video, suggests that senior members of the Congress party are favouring Muslims over marginalised communities.
Shortly after the police action, the Election Commission called on X (formerly Twitter) to delete the video, citing violations of Indian law. There has been no immediate response from X or the BJP.
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According to the Election Commission, the video was posted by the BJP’s Karnataka state unit, and the Chief Electoral Officer in Karnataka had previously directed X to remove it on Sunday. However, the video remained online until after voting concluded in Karnataka on Tuesday.
The Congress and its ecosystem has filed FIR(s) against BJP’s national and state leadership for this post. Did the Congress expect to slip in draconian promises in their manifesto and not get called out? The Congress should infact thank the BJP for taking their manifesto to the… https://t.co/y65fR6XggF
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) May 5, 2024
This incident marks the second time in the past two weeks that the BJP has shared a similar video online. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also made comparable claims about the opposition’s supposed bias towards Muslims during election rallies.
India is currently in the midst of a general election that will conclude in June. Parties and leaders are prohibited from using religious issues to garner votes under the model code of conduct. However, critics argue that PM Modi and other BJP leaders are engaging in Islamophobia to sway voters. They have also criticised the Election Commission for not taking swift action against such instances.
India’s Muslim population, numbering around 200 million, constitutes the largest minority group in the country. Incidents of anti-Muslim hate speech have surged since the BJP assumed power in 2014.