Minister, it is Hindutva groups that malign India's reputation abroad: Reply to Rijiju's remark
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It was not the Muslims who malign the country's reputation abroad, but the right-wing Hindutva groups that attack Muslims in the name of cow slaughter, love jihad and other alleged jihads and force them to chant Jai Sreeram, activists and journalists argued in response to Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju's assertion that Indians were tarnishing the country's global image by claiming that minorities, particularly Muslims, do not feel safe.
They pointed to numerous instances in which Muslims were assaulted, humiliated or prevented from observing their religious rituals, many of which were video-recorded and widely circulated on social media, contending that it was such incidents, rather than criticism from minorities, that had invited scrutiny of India's treatment of Muslims.
Among those who took exception to the minister's remarks was fact-checker and AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair, who tagged Rijiju in a series of posts carrying videos of attacks on Muslims and instances of harassment and intimidation, while also posting a collage of government-leaning news channels propagating hate towards Indian Muslims, seeking to demonstrate that the minister was oblivious to the persecution being endured by sections of the community, particularly in BJP-ruled states.
The controversy erupted after Rijiju, speaking at The Indian Express’s Idea Exchange programme on June 13, argued that assertions that Muslims feel unsafe in India amounted to an attempt to malign the nation. He maintained that minorities enjoy constitutional safeguards and questioned whether any member of a minority community had left the country due to religious persecution.
The minister further contended that India remains a natural refuge for persecuted religious minorities from neighbouring countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, citing the arrival of Hindus, Sikhs and Christians seeking protection. At the same time, he reiterated the government’s opposition to illegal migration, stating that those creating trouble in the country would not be accepted.
Rijiju’s observations, however, drew immediate criticism from opposition figures, rights campaigners and members of the media, who argued that they ignored a growing body of documented incidents involving communal violence, hate crimes and discrimination against minorities.
Journalist Abhisar Sharma joined the criticism, suggesting that inflammatory portrayals of Muslims had become commonplace in sections of the media. Senior journalist Suhasini Haider also questioned the minister’s remarks, adding to a debate that has since spread across social media platforms, where supporters and critics continue to clash over the state of minority rights in India.