NEW DELHI: A fresh surge of violence against Muslims in India has once again exposed the hollowness of the country’s secular image. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist policies and the growing influence of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have turned India into a hub of extremism, where minorities continue to face persecution.
Under the Modi government, state-backed terrorism against Muslims has intensified, targeting their religious and economic rights. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has come under fire for his anti-Muslim measures, which include restrictions on food choices and curbs on religious freedom.
During a speech at an event in Gorakhpur celebrating the centenary of the RSS, Yogi Adityanath made several controversial remarks. He announced a ban on the sale of halal-certified products in Uttar Pradesh, claiming that profits from such items were being used to fund religious conversions, “jihad,” and terrorism.
Adityanath further accused “political Islam” of attempting to divide India and alter the country’s demographic balance. He alleged that past struggles against political Islam were deliberately hidden from history and went on to describe Islam as an ongoing threat to India’s peace and harmony.
Following his remarks, a new wave of communal violence was reported across several regions. According to Indian media, incidents of mob attacks on mosques and desecration of the Quran were reported in Rampur and Bihar, fueled by extremist Hindutva groups.
This is not the first time Yogi Adityanath has courted controversy with his anti-Muslim rhetoric. Reports indicate that since 2017, thousands of Muslim homes have been demolished under his government’s “bulldozer policy.”
Observers say that under Modi’s rule, the rise of religious extremism and anti-Muslim sentiment has shattered India’s long-claimed image as a secular democracy.
