BJP to implement anti-minority policy Uniform Civil Code if re-elected: Minister
Federal minister Amit Shah announced that the far-right Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) plans to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), an anti-minority policy, across India, if voted back to power. The UCC mandates the formulation of one common law that all religious communities would be forced to adhere to in personal matters.
Meanwhile, in election rallies across Uttar Pradesh, BJP minister and Hindu militant monk Yogi Adityanath called on anti-Muslim sentiments to spread propaganda against the opposition party and win Hindu votes. Adityanath referred to the ongoing elections as a fight between supporters and enemies of Hindu deity Ram. He also claimed that the opposition would implement a “Taliban-style government where women will have to wear burqa and sit at home, and girls can’t go to school.”
Hindu extremists assault Muslim men over allegations of cattle transport
In Bharuch, Gujarat, Hindu extremist cow vigilantes chased a truck with a Muslim passenger, resulting in an accident. The vigilantes then assaulted the Muslim man for allegedly transporting beef. In Dhule, Maharashtra, two Muslim men were beaten by cow vigilantes over similar allegations.
Hindu militants march with guns, organize weapons training for minors, girls
In Sabarkantha, Gujarat, Hindu supremacist group Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad held a weapons training event for minors as well as adults. In Beawar, Rajasthan, Hindu militant group Bajrang Dal members organized an armed military march, during which participants flaunted guns, swords, canes, and saffron flags.
Across Madhya Pradesh, Hindu militant groups organized similar military style marches. The Hindu militant group Vishwa Hindu Parishad also organized weapons training for hundreds of girls.
Police open fire at alleged “cattle smuggler,” victim sustains bullet wound
In BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur, police fired gunshots at an alleged “cattle smuggler,” who sustained a bullet injury in his leg.
The incident is the latest in an ongoing trend of violent attacks against predominantly Muslim cattle traders by law enforcement. Multiple such injuries have occurred on a near-weekly basis due to police firings.
