ISLAMABAD: PPP Parliamentary Leader in the Senate Sherry Rehman on Saturday voiced deep concern over the continued silence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on escalating violence by Hindu radical groups against religious minorities, particularly Christians and Muslims.<\/p>\n
In a X post on Saturday, she warned that such silence risks normalising hate-driven violence and undermining the very principles of democratic governance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat stops Prime Minister Modi from condemning the actions of Hindu radicals who attack Christians\u2014as we all do in Pakistan\u2014from clearly stating that such violence is unacceptable in a civilised country?\u201d Senator Rehman asked. \u201cI think we know the answer, he is okay with impunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rehman stressed that true leadership is measured by a willingness to confront extremism within one\u2019s own support base. She cautioned that silence effectively signals tolerance for impunity and emboldens radical actors.<\/p>\n
Her remarks echo findings published by The Wall Street Journal, which documented a significant rise in violence against religious minorities in India since Modi took office in 2014. The report noted that groups aligned with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been implicated in attacks against Muslims and Christians, as well as systemic discrimination in employment, education, housing, and civic participation.<\/p>\n
India\u2019s Muslim community, representing approximately 14 percent of the population, has faced the brunt of these attacks, including social exclusion and ghettoisation. Christians, comprising just 2.3 percent of the population and largely economically marginalised, have also increasingly been targeted.<\/p>\n
The WSJ highlighted recent incidents just before December 25, when mobs armed with wooden sticks vandalised Christmas decorations at shopping malls in central India, and right-wing groups disrupted school celebrations and burned holiday merchandise in the northeast, according to Indian media. These incidents were reported across Chhattisgarh, Assam, Kerala, and Uttar Pradesh.<\/p>\n
Radical Hindu groups remain fixated on what they describe as the \u201cthreat\u201d of Christian conversion, despite the community\u2019s small size and the fact that 80 percent of India\u2019s population is Hindu. At least 12 Indian states have enacted laws prohibiting religious conversion by \u201cforce, fraud, or allurement,\u201d with \u201callurement\u201d often broadly interpreted to criminalise even peaceful evangelical activity. Violence against Christians is frequently justified under the pretext of enforcing these laws.<\/p>\n
Senator Rehman emphasised that protecting religious freedom and minority rights is a universal democratic obligation, not a regional or partisan issue.<\/p>\n
\u201cCondemning extremism should never be selective,\u201d she said. \u201cA civilised nation is defined not by the power of its majority, but by how it protects its most vulnerable citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n
She asserted that a democratic country must unequivocally denounce hate-based violence, uphold constitutional protections for all faiths, and ensure accountability for those who incite or carry out attacks in the name of religion.<\/p>\n
Sherry Rehman condemns Modi\u2019s silence over violence against minorities, calls for accountability<\/p>\n
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courtesy pakistantoday.com.pk<\/p>\n