IAMC Condemns Voter Suppression, Threats of Violence Against Muslim Voters in Uttar Pradesh

Washington, D.C. (November 21, 2024) – The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) today strongly condemned the suppression of Muslim voters by police in at least nine constituencies across Uttar Pradesh state, which is ruled by the Hindu supremacist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), during ongoing assembly elections. 

Indian media outlets and opposition party leaders alike have reported a number of instances in which police arbitrarily checked the IDs of Muslim voters and turned them away from the polls. One video shows an officer pointing his gun at a Muslim woman, telling her he “had orders” to fire, while another shows police charging down voters with lathis.  

India’s Election Commission (EC) has suspended a number of police officers for voter obstruction following widespread backlash.   

However, similar forms of intimidation and harassment of Muslim voters were prevalent throughout India’s general elections earlier this year, with no intervention from the EC. Between May and June, Muslim voters across the country found their names deleted from the electoral roll without notice, driving concerns that the BJP deliberately suppressed Muslim voters. Police violence was also prevalent; in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal, Muslims were beaten by police and prevented from casting their votes. 

“The incidents that happened today are emblematic of the broader decline of the country’s democratic institutions that are entrusted with ensuring the integrity of elections,” said IAMC Executive Director Rasheed Ahmed. “Police brutality against minorities often occurs with the permission of the state government. In a state ruled by a staunch Hindu supremacist such as Yogi Adityanath, where Muslims have already reported voter suppression during general elections, it is imperative for there to be consequences for those at the top who have normalized the systematic disenfranchisement of Muslims.”