Suspect charged after Vancouver car ramming leaves 11 dead    Suspect in killing of general claims he was paid by Ukraine    North Korea confirms troop deployment to Russia for first time    Rock & Roll Hall of Fame picks Outkast but not Oasis    400-800 year old giant coral colony discovered within AMAALA waters in the Red Sea    Makkah police arrest Yemeni and Egyptian suspects of fake Hajj campaign    Kafalah grants 1,900 loan guarantees worth over SR4.8 billion to SMEs during 1Q 2025    Council of Senior Scholars reaffirms performing Hajj without a permit is a sinful act    HR Ministry launches 'Ajeer Al-Hajj' service for seasonal work during Hajj 2025    stc reports strong first-quarter 2025 results with 11% rise in net profit    King and Crown Prince offer condolence to Iranian president over the deadly port explosion    Saudi Awwal Bank records SR2.1 billion net profit after zakat and income tax for 1Q25    Virgin Atlantic celebrates one month of nonstop service between London and Riyadh    Al Ahli cruise past Buriram into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Duran leads Al Nassr past Yokohama Marinos into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi orchestra to perform at Sydney Opera House in May    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Campaign video targeting Muslims faces police probe as critics accuse Modi's party of divisive election tactics
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 08 - 05 - 2024

Police in southern India are investigating a senior leader of the country's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over a political video targeting Muslims, as critics accuse Prime Minister Narendra Modi of running an increasingly divisive re-election campaign.
The police probe comes as the world's most populous nation votes in a mammoth weeks-long election in which Modi's Hindu-nationalist party is widely expected to secure a rare third consecutive term.
The party has long denied being anti-Islam but opposition politicians and prominent Muslims have warned that its leaders have been deploying openly divisive rhetoric to turbo-charge their campaign.
According to a police report seen by CNN on Tuesday, Karnataka state police are investigating whether local BJP leader B. Y. Vijayendra and the unnamed holder of the party's official local X account "promoted enmity" between religious groups after the clip was posted online on May 4.
The 17-second animation depicts leaders of India's main opposition Congress party giving benefits to Muslims, alongside a caption in the local Kannada language: "Beware... Beware... Beware...!"
It shows caricatures of Congress's national leader Rahul Gandhi and its Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah feeding "funds" to a large bird wearing a Muslim skullcap, while giving nothing to three smaller birds portraying other marginalized minorities. The large bird then kicks the other birds out of their nest as the Congress politicians laugh.
The video was removed Wednesday after a request to X from India's Election Commission to take it down.
CNN has reached out to Vijayendra, the BJP and X for comment.
Critics said Congress' manifesto makes no mention of redistributing wealth to Muslims, while Congress lawmaker Manickam Tagore said the video was a "blatant demonization of minorities by ruling BJP," and urged the Election Commission to address its "divisive tactics."
Many of India's more than 200 million Muslims have expressed fear at the prospect of Modi's re-election, and critics said the video fits a pattern of openly Islamophobic rhetoric during the BJP's campaign.
Last month, the BJP's Instagram account published another animation that claimed the Congress planned to prioritize Muslims.
"If you are a non-Muslim, Congress will snatch your wealth and distribute it to Muslims," said a voiceover in the clip, which has since been removed from Instagram.
That video echoed similar comments by Modi, who sparked a row over hate speech last month while campaigning in BJP-ruled Rajasthan state, when he accused Muslims – who have been present in India for centuries – of being "infiltrators" who deliberately have large families to outgrow the majority Hindu population.
Modi's speech ignited widespread anger among Muslim leaders and opposition politicians and calls for election authorities to investigate. BJP party spokespeople subsequently said Modi was talking about undocumented migrants.
The election commission has asked the BJP to respond to the allegations.
In an interview with local broadcaster Times Now on Monday, Modi said the BJP is "not opposed to Islam and Muslims."
But many Muslims were skeptical.
"This is not a dogwhistle, this is a targeted, direct, brazen hate speech against a community," prominent Muslim journalist Rana Ayyub said in response to the speech. — CNN


Clic here to read the story from its source.