India Accused of Expelling Muslims to Bangladesh Ahead of State Polls

India Accused of Expelling Muslims to Bangladesh Ahead of State Polls
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Human Rights Watch (HRW) and other rights groups are raising alarms over India’s alleged expulsion of hundreds of ethnic Bengali Muslims to Bangladesh, many without due process, ahead of crucial state elections, Reuters reported. Critics argue these actions, which intensified following the August 2024 ouster of a pro-India premier in Dhaka, are politically motivated and discriminatory.

According to reports, Bengali-speaking Muslims, including some confirmed Indian citizens, have been unlawfully pushed across the border under the guise of deterring illegal immigration. Human Rights Watch specifically condemned these actions as violations of international law, citing coerced deportations, some reportedly at gunpoint, and systemic denial of legal recourse.

Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party (BJP), has been accused of using these evictions and expulsions to polarize voters. The BJP has long advocated for India as a homeland for Hindus, amending citizenship laws in 2019 to effectively naturalize undocumented non-Muslim migrants. Since May 2021, Sarma’s government has evicted 50,000 people, mostly Bengali Muslims, from land, with more demolitions planned. These actions, say analysts, highlight a broader agenda to marginalize Muslim communities and weaponize citizenship laws for political gain.