Anti-Islam statements spark religious violence in India, prompting police arrests

Demonstrators shout anti-Indian slogans during a protest in Quetta against former Bharatiya Janata Party spokeswoman Nupur Sharma and her remarks about the Prophet Mohammed. (Photo: AFP)

Sunday, police in Kashmir, India, detained a young man for releasing a video in which he threatened to behead a former spokeswoman for India's ruling party who had disparaged remarks about Islam's religious leader Prophet Mohammed.

Authorities have removed Faisal Wani's YouTube video regarding Nupur Sharma and the Bharatiya Janata Party as a more significant effort to quell religious tension in India.

In recent weeks, Muslims have flocked to the streets to protest the anti-Islamic remarks made by Ms. Sharma and another leader of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist BJP, Naveen Kumar Jindal.

The BJP suspended Ms. Sharma and expelled Mr. Jindal earlier this month for their incendiary remarks. Their remarks infuriated several Muslim nations, posing a severe diplomatic headache for the Modi administration.

Against the two former BJP officials, police cases have been filed.

Mr. Jindal tweeted on Sunday that his family had been subject to persistent threats, and some of his followers posted that a crude bomb had been defused outside his New Delhi apartment.

The fury over the pair's remarks has trended on Twitter, and Muslim organizations have demanded their arrest. Meanwhile, some fundamentalist Hindu organizations have lauded the two officials as courageous nationalists.

Significant trading partners for India, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, and Iran, protested through diplomatic channels and requested an apology from the government via social media.

The foreign ministry of India stated last week that the remarks do not represent the government's position.

Some members of the minority Muslim community view the remarks as the most recent instance of pressure and humiliation under BJP leadership on matters ranging from freedom of religion to wearing hijab head scarves.

Last week, two adolescents were killed as demonstrators and police battled in the eastern Indian city of Ranchi.

After occasional disturbances in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, over 300 people were arrested. State authorities have stated that they intend to demolish the home of social activist Javed Ahmed, accusing him of organizing violent rallies.

The development authorities stated that Mr. Ahmed's residence is an unauthorized structure. According to fellow activists, the decision is the most recent in a string of random demolitions of Muslim properties that have been interpreted as an act of vengeance by the party of Mr. Modi's government.

On Saturday, demolitions were also conducted in the Kanpur district of Uttar Pradesh.

In April, the BJP razed dozens of Muslim homes in central Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat in response to conflicts between Muslims and Hindus.

Until June 16, the authorities in the eastern state of West Bengal prohibited public gatherings in the industrial district of Howrah. After the most recent communal unrest, at least 70 people were arrested on charges of rioting and breaching public order, and internet services were suspended for more than 48 hours.

Sunday, the president of the BJP in West Bengal, Sukanta Majumdar, conducted a sit-in protest and accused Bangladesh of encouraging unrest in the state. Bangladesh and West Bengal share a long, open border.

In addition to designating Islam as the national religion, Bangladesh's constitution preserves the principle of secularism. Hindus constitute approximately 10% of the country's population.

BJP officials have urged several senior members of the BJP to be "extremely cautious" when discussing religion on public platforms, and the government continues strengthening general security.

Publish : 2022-06-12 18:44:00

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