New Delhi: Major Muslim organizations in India, including Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, have expressed their concerns regarding a sharp increase in violence against Muslims following the recent Lok Sabha elections.

According to Kashmir Media Service, since the commencement of Narendra Modi’s third term as Prime Minister under the NDA government, Indian media has reported 12 lynching incidents. Prof. Salim Engineer, Vice President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, during a press conference, detailed an escalation in communal violence, lynchings, and property demolitions in various states including Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal, Telangana, Odisha, and Rajasthan, with many incidents allegedly related to accusations of cow slaughter.

The organizations are also apprehensive about the new Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) laws, enacted in December 2023, which replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). These changes, as per Prof. Salim, were implemented without adequate parliamentary debate and might foster corruption and discrimination against marginalized groups. Nadeem Khan, Secretary of the Association for Protection of Civil Rights, highlighted how these laws might undermine civil liberties and emphasized the urgency for opposition MPs to challenge these issues in Parliament.

Maulana Mahmood Asad Madani from Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind also condemned the increase in mob lynchings and divisive rhetoric against Muslims, urging government action and the creation of strict laws to prevent such violence and protect minority communities.