Amnesty urges India to stop ‘vicious’ Muslim protest crackdown

• Two people were killed
• hundreds imprisoned in nationwide rallies over controversial remarks
• Bulldozer footage of individuals jailed or identified as demonstrators’ residences has gone viral on social media.

NEW DELHI: Amnesty International said Tuesday that India must immediately cease a “vicious” assault on Muslims who took to the streets to protest a governing party official’s remarks regarding the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).

Last week, two people were slain and hundreds more were imprisoned in nationwide rallies over the remarks, which engulfed India in a diplomatic crisis and enraged the Islamic world.

Bulldozer footage of individuals jailed or identified as demonstrators’ residences has since gone viral on social media.

According to Amnesty International’s Aakar Patel, authorities are “selectively and violently cracking down on Muslims who dare to speak up… against the injustice they endure.”

“Using excessive force against demonstrators, arbitrary arrest, and punitive house demolitions… is a complete breach of India’s international human rights obligations.”

More than 300 individuals have been arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s northern state for participating in last week’s protests.

Firebrand monk Yogi Adityanath, the state’s chief minister, is one of India’s most notable Hindu nationalist politicians, noted for his sectarian vitriol against the country’s 200 million Muslim population.

Adityanath has repeatedly urged authorities to demolish the homes of people accused of crimes, a demand that critics argue is in violation of constitutional and human rights law bans on collective punishment.

Amnesty International has requested that imprisoned protestors be released “immediately and unconditionally,” and Patel said the arrests and demolitions were “part of a disturbing escalation of the authorities’ efforts targeting Muslims.”

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been accused of promoting discriminatory policies against Muslims since gaining national power in 2014.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government proposed a contentious proposal that would allow refugees in India speedier citizenship, but only if they are Muslim, while state BJP governments have implemented rules that make interfaith marriages more difficult.

On Friday, large rallies took place across India, with some mobs burning effigies of Nupur Sharma, the BJP spokeswoman whose comments on a TV debate event sparked the uproar.

Sharma was expelled from the party, which released a statement declaring it respected all religions, and over 20 Muslim-majority countries summoned their Indian envoys to express their displeasure.

Huge protests erupted in neighbouring nations on Friday, with authorities estimating that more than 100,000 people were mobilised across Bangladesh following midday prayers.

In the Pakistani city of Lahore, another 5,000 people marched to the streets to demand that their government take greater action against India as a result of the comments.