The recent electoral setbacks of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India have sparked intense debate over the role of anti-Muslim policies in the party’s decline. While the BJP’s electoral performance can be attributed to various factors including internal divisions and a united opposition front, the impact of its anti-Muslim stance cannot be ignored.
The BJP’s anti-Muslim policies can be traced back to its early days when it was founded by Syama Prasad Mookerjee in 1951. Initially, the party focused on promoting Hindu nationalism and opposing Indian government policies towards Pakistan. However, under Narendra Modi’s leadership, the party’s stance towards Muslims shifted significantly. Modi, who became the party’s prime ministerial candidate in 2014, was accused of fueling anti-Muslim sentiments through his speeches and policies.
One crucial factor contributing to the rise of anti-Muslim sentiments in India was the BJP’s handling of the violence in Delhi in 2020. These incidents, which erupted amid protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, resulted in over 50 deaths and hundreds of injuries. The government of the BJP was criticized for failing to prevent the escalation of violence and for exploiting the events to support its political agenda. These riots marked a turning point in the relationship between the BJP and Muslims, with many feeling that the government no longer protected their safety and well-being adequately.
The BJP’s anti-Muslim policies had a significant impact on its electoral prospects. In the 2019 general elections, while the BJP won 303 seats overall, its performance in constituencies with a Muslim majority was dismal. In many of these constituencies, the BJP’s share of votes decreased significantly, leading to the loss of several seats to opposition parties.
Furthermore, the BJP’s anti-Muslim policies also led to a decline in support among Hindu voters. Many Hindus began to question the party’s commitment and effectiveness, especially in the aftermath of the Delhi riots in 2020, which were seen as a threat to Indian societal unity and a challenge to the party’s ability to maintain law and order.
Significantly, the party’s leaders utilized social media to amplify content portraying Muslims as adversaries, often including false claims accusing them of involvement in terrorist activities. These allegations were not only used to tarnish the image of Muslims but also to bolster popular support for the BJP’s anti-Muslim policies. By promoting lies and distortions, the party sought to justify political and social restrictions imposed on Muslims and foster an atmosphere of fear and distrust in Indian society.
This dangerous trend of using digital technology to influence public opinion in India, a country rich in ethnic and religious diversity, exacerbated sectarian divisions and bolstered a nationalist identity rooted in racism at the expense of diversity and religious tolerance.
The impact of anti-Muslim policies on Muslim voters was profound
In the 2024 general elections, Muslim voters played a decisive role in the BJP’s defeat. In many constituencies with Muslim majorities, the BJP’s share of votes decreased significantly, resulting in the loss of several seats to opposition parties. This demonstrates how the party’s anti-Muslim policies were a key factor in its decline, as many Muslims felt that the BJP was no longer a viable option for them.
While opposition parties in India played a crucial role in challenging these discriminatory policies of the BJP, the Congress party, in particular, was outspoken in criticizing the BJP’s stance towards Muslims and sought to present itself as a more inclusive and tolerant alternative. Opposition parties also capitalized on the BJP’s persecution of Muslims by highlighting the party’s failure to address pressing economic and social issues in the country. They argued that the BJP’s focus on anti-Muslim policies diverted attention from its ability to address urgent problems such as poverty and unemployment.
The BJP’s populist anti-Muslim policies had a significant impact on Muslims and India as a whole. They exacerbated divisions in a deeply diverse country and contributed to growing feelings of distrust and hostility within Indian society. During the election campaign, the BJP did not retreat from launching racist and hostile speeches, as Modi continued to focus his speeches on anti-Muslim sentiment across the country. Even as he sought a third consecutive term, Modi claimed that Muslims were “infiltrators” who would take India’s wealth if they came to power, and he spoke about people who had more children, metaphorically attempting to provoke fears of demographic change in India, a stereotypical image that Muslims have more children than Hindus and that this is part of their strategy to gain an advantage over the Hindu majority in the country. In addition, the election campaign speech of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which included anti-Muslim conspiracy theories such as “love jihad”, contributed to further polarization and unrest in the country, which ultimately led to the party’s defeat.
Despite the setback of the party, the future of anti-Muslim policies in India remains uncertain. The BJP’s performance in the 2024 general elections has raised questions about the party’s ability to continue promoting anti-Muslim policies. While opposition parties in India have pledged to continue opposing the BJP’s anti-Muslim policies, whether they will succeed in presenting themselves as more tolerant alternatives remains to be seen.
