President of India approves anti-minority policy Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand state
The far-right Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Uttarakhand state’s Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2024 has been approved by President of India, Droupadi Murmu. Last month, Uttarakhand became the first state to enact the anti-minority policy, which mandates the formulation of one common law that all religious communities would be forced to adhere to in personal matters.
The UCC forces religious minorities to follow laws passed by India’s Hindu supremacist government in matters such as marriage, divorce, and inheritance. Implementing the UCC is a violation of freedom of religion and an invasion in the private lives of citizens, particularly Muslims and Christians, who are already severely marginalized in India.
Police open fire at alleged “cattle smuggler,” victim sustains bullet wound
In BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur, 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. Over the last few months, multiple such injuries have occurred due to police firing.
Hindu militant leaders threaten violence against Muslims
In Raipur, Chhattisgarh, Hindu militant group Bajrang Dal leader delivered an inflammatory speech with overt threats of violence against Muslims. In Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, Hindu militant group Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Alok Kumar gave a hate speech inciting anti-Muslim violence.
