Modi-Linked Hindu Group Stirs Muslim Tensions Ahead of Elections
A mural depicting a scene from Hindu mythology in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Photographer: Prashanth Vishwanathan/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
A Hindu group linked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party called for a national population policy that appeared aimed at minority Muslims, stoking religious tensions ahead of two key state elections.
Dattatreya Hosabale, general secretary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh -- the ideological parent of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party -- said Wednesday that the Hindu majority was declining due to religious conversions and illegal migration. He provided no data for his claim, which is commonly repeated among right-wing Hindu groups that seek to erode India’s traditional secular character.