Muslims in India have been undergoing a critically adverse situation since 2014 when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power at the Centre under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The community has been facing hate speeches, mob violence, economic boycotts, discrimination, malicious campaigns, biased media trials and discriminatory laws during the last 8 years. The year 2022 witnessed all these types of incidents at different points in time.
In January, the year started with a hijab ban in Karnataka schools and colleges. The issue caught international attention and it went to court. Karnataka High Court upheld the hijab ban in schools and colleges. Many women were forced to remove their hijab before entering the campus.
In March, a controversial movie named The Kashmir Files on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits was released. The movie caused hate speeches and mob attacks on innocent Muslims. The movie has faced severe criticism.
In April, various states including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka and others witnessed massive anti-Muslim violence during festivals. Mosques, Muslim houses, shops and vehicles were set on fire. Two people died and many others were injured.
In May, derogatory remarks made by two BJP leaders, Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal, against Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny) caused major international outrage.
In October, BJP MP Pravesh Sing Verma along with other Hindutva leaders called for an economic boycott and violence against Muslims at an event held by Vishwa Hindu Prishad (VHP) in Delhi.
