New Delhi: The governance under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been marked by increasingly aggressive policies and actions that critics say are aimed at marginalizing India’s Muslim community. This includes the destruction of mosques and Islamic heritage sites, framed as anti-encroachment measures but perceived as efforts to erase Muslim presence and history.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the demolitions are part of a broader state-backed discrimination agenda by the Modi administration, aligning with the Hindutva ideology which advocates for Hindu supremacy. This ideology systematically undermines the socio-political standing and rights of Muslims in India, promoting an environment of hostility and inequality.

Since Modi’s ascent to power in 2014, there has been a notable increase in violence against Muslims, ranging from mob lynchings to assaults on Islamic places of worship. International human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have documented these abuses, noting the frequent complicity or passive inaction of state forces.

Furthermore, legislative measures like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) are seen as tools to disenfranchise Muslim citizens, potentially stripping them of their citizenship rights under the guise of regulatory reform. These actions are seen as part of a calculated attempt to diminish the Muslim identity within India.

The judiciary’s sluggish or non-responsive attitude towards stopping these demolitions, despite several court orders, exacerbates the situation, highlighting a judicial system that struggles to counteract government directives, thus enabling continued impunity for actions against Muslim communities.

This situation has not only affected India’s international image but has also attracted sharp criticism from global bodies. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has designated India as a country of particular concern, pointing out the regression in religious freedom under the BJP-led government.

These developments raise significant concerns about the state of secular democracy in India, suggesting a departure from its foundational ideals towards a more divided and sectarian society.