Amnesty: India Police Flogging Muslims ‘Serious Rights Violation’
The Facts
Human rights group Amnesty International has condemned the public flogging of Muslims by police in the BJP-ruled Indian state of Gujarat. A video of Tuesday's incident in the village of Udhela constitutes, "a serious human rights violation," according to the organization, and shows, "utter disrespect towards the law."
Viral recordings show Muslim men, who were detained for allegedly throwing stones during Hindu celebration Navrati Garba, tied to a pole and publicly flogged with canes by officers in plain clothes. Meanwhile, police in uniform stand by along with a significant crowd that included women and children cheering and chanting.
The Spin
Narrative A
Islamaphobia is the norm in Modi's India, having been condoned and even encouraged by the BJP. Intolerance of religious minorities, especially muslims, has always been a central feature of Hindu nationalist ideology in India — this latest incident is just further evidence of this oppressive framework cementing itself practically in Indian society.
Narrative B
Only religious codes which don't intervene with the lifestyle of other religious groups would be feasible in a democracy such as India's. Although the content of Tuesday's video hasn't been fully clarified, authorities have confirmed that detained Muslims were targeting a Hindu festival and that innocent bystanders were injured as a result. When religious practices undermine the Indian system and Constitution, they must face scrutiny.
