According to a Survey, it has come to light that the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is witnessing a concerning surge in hate crimes against its Muslim population.
The period from 2015 to the present day has seen 418 documented incidents of crimes fuelled by religious hatred in this region.
Uttar Pradesh, which holds the highest number of inmates in the country, is also home to a significant Muslim population.
It is worth noting that several campaigns against Muslims, such as "Love Jihad," "Halal Jihad," "Ghar Wapsi," "Daughters' Protection, Bring Daughters-in-law," "Hijab Enforcement," and "Cow Vigilantism," have found a disturbing foothold in the state.
Under the governance of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), Uttar Pradesh reported 13,000 crimes against minorities in 2022.
According to a 2016 report by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, Uttar Pradesh detains the largest number of Muslims, with over 18,000 Muslims languishing in its prisons.
Even in encounters with the police, Muslims make up the highest number of casualties.
Since 2016, the Modi government has been scrutinizing the salaries of 21,000 teachers in Madarsas across Uttar Pradesh.
In 2015, a Muslim man named Mohammad Akhlaq was lynched on suspicions of cow slaughter, causing a communal uproar. However, it was his brother who faced a police case, and in 2017, the Yogi government rewarded the 15 accused killers with government jobs.
On March 5, 2019, more than 200 huts belonging to Muslims were set ablaze by BJP leader in Meerut for allegedly occupying land.
During Ramadan, over 1,700 cases were filed against Muslims for offering Eid prayers, while in April the previous year, a Hindu extremist leader, Yati Narsinghanand, incited his followers to attack the Kaaba.
Narsinghanand's provocative statement suggested that conquering the Kaaba, Mecca's sacred mosque, and the waters of the Ganga would not be achieved without capturing the Kaaba.
In April 2023, extremist Hindus, including politicians, opened fire on Muslim politician Ateek Ahmed, leaving him critically injured during police protection.
Just last month, a Hindu school teacher in Muzaffarnagar slapped a 7-year-old Muslim boy for failing to remember a lesson.
In 2020, an incident of rape and murder of a Muslim woman, Gulnaz, in Uttar Pradesh garnered international attention, with the Indian courts ultimately acquitting the accused in 2023.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has faced intense scrutiny due to his alleged involvement in promoting hatred against Muslims. In 2015, Yogi Adityanath referred to actor Shah Rukh Khan as a terrorist.
In 2018, he demanded the removal of a portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah from Aligarh University.
In 2019, Yogi Adityanath labeled Muslims as a "virus."
Since 2014, the Uttar Pradesh government has renamed more than 150 cities, historical sites, and locations in a bid to align them with Hindu cultural names.
The situation has further escalated, with demands to rename Rajamandir as Rajmahendir, Allahabad as Prayagraj, Faizabad as Ayodhya, and Ferozabad as Narmadapur, among others.
There are also discussions about renaming Aligarh and Shahjahanpur.
Furthermore, there have been calls to demolish the Taj Mahal to build a temple in its place.
The rising hate crimes and escalating communal tensions in Uttar Pradesh raise serious concerns about religious harmony in India's most populous state.
