Attacks by cow vigilantes, threat to journalists in India: Amnesty criticizes in report
New Delhi: Religious minorities, particularly Muslims, in India faced increasing "demonization", global rights group Amnesty International said on Thursday, accusing Indian authorities of using laws to stifle freedom of expression in the country.
In its latest annual report released here, it said incidents like cow vigilantism and lynchings in the name of beef-eating plagued India over the past year, alleging inaction by the government.
"In India, dozens of hate crimes against Muslims took place across the country against the backdrop of a wave of Islamophobia under the Hindu nationalist government. At least 10 Muslim men were lynched and many injured by vigilante cow protection groups," it said, adding many of them seemed to operate with the support of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
"Some arrests were made, but no convictions were reported. Some BJP officials made statements which appeared to justify the attacks."
The report also speaks about issues like threat to journalists and killing of Gauri Lankesh, an editor who was shot dead outside her residence in Bengaluru last year.
"Several journalists and human rights defenders lost their lives. Freedom of expression in universities also remained under threat. Lankesh, an outspoken critic of Hindu nationalism and the caste system, was shot dead outside her home in Bengaluru by unidentified gunmen in September. Criminal defamation cases were brought against several journalists."
The report draws a dark picture of the plight of human rights, citing examples and of caste-based discrimination, communal violence, crimes against women and children in India.
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'Operation Sindoor' Bharat's response to brutal killing of innocent people in Pahalgam: Amit Shah
New Delhi (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the 'Operation Sindoor' is Bharat's response to the brutal killings of innocent people in Pahalgam.
Shah's remarks came after Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's base in Muridke. The strike was codenamed as 'Operation Sindoor'.
The home minister said the Modi government is resolved to give a befitting response to any attack on India and its people and Bharat remains firmly committed to eradicating terrorism from its roots.
"Proud of our armed forces. #OperationSindoor is Bharat’s response to the brutal killing of our innocent brothers in Pahalgam," he wrote on 'X'.
The Indian strike was carried out in response to the April 22 terrorists attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam where 26 people were killed.
