Monthly Overview of India News – June 2024

India in the World 

• On June 6, a cross-party group of MPs and senators with top security clearances in Canada concluded that India is the second biggest foreign threat to Canada’s democracy after China. India is mentioned 44 times in 84 pages. This comes after bilateral tensions, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised “credible allegations” that people tied to the Indian state were responsible for the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil. 
• On June 6, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated Prime Minister Modi on his win in the Lok Sabha elections via a tweet on X. In his tweet, Trudeau emphasized that the Indo-Canadian relationship is “anchored to human rights, diversity, and the rule of law.” 
• On June 11, the World Economic Forum released its annual Global Gender Gap Index, in which India ranked 129th, two ranks worse than the year before. The decline from last year is attributed to slight decreases in the ‘educational attainment’ and ‘political empowerment’ parameters. 
• On June 13, Prime Minister Modi travelled to Italy for the G7 leaders’ summit, which was dedicated to artificial intelligence, energy, Africa and the Mediterranean. 
• On June 14, the Czech Republic extradited India national Nikhil Gupta to the United States. Gupta is accused by US federal prosecutors of plotting with intelligence and security officials to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US and Canadian citizen who reportedly advocated for a sovereign Sikh state in northern India. On June 26, United States Deputy Secretary of State Kurt M Campbell said that India is looking at potential institutional reforms that might be necessary in the wake of the alleged assassination plot. 
• On June 16, India refrained from signing a joint communique recognizing Ukraine’s territorial integrity amid Russia’s war on the European country, saying that “only those options acceptable to both the parties can lead to abiding peace”. The “Summit on Peace in Ukraine” that was held at the Canton of Nidwalden in Switzerland and saw 92 countries, excluding Russia, participate. Over 80 countries signed the joint communique that said that the “territorial integrity” of Ukraine must be the basis for “comprehensive, just and lasting peace” in the region. 
• On June 21, the Ministry of External Affairs said that a recent documentary by Australia’s ABC News about the Narendra Modi government contains “blatant untruths” and “reflects unprofessional reporting”. On June 17, ABC News had released a documentary titled “Spies, secrets and threats: How the Modi regime targets people overseas”, which features an investigation into an alleged “nest of [Indian] spies” and Australian residents who claim to have been threatened by Indian authorities. 
• On June 26, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that there has been a “concerning increase” in hate speech, anti-conversion laws, and demolitions of homes and places of worship of members of religious minorities in India. Blinken made the comments as he unveiled the US state department’s 2023 International Religious Freedom Report, covering the year of 2023.  

Elections 

• On June 2, the Election Commission of India announced that an estimated 61.6% of voters had voted in the last phase of polling of the elections. The voter average turnout for the other phases was recorded at 66.14% (first phase), 66.71% (second phase), 65.68% (third phase), 69.16% (fourth phase), 62.2% (fifth phase) and 63.37% (sixth phase). 
• On June 3, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that the Election Commission had deliberated over poll code violations during the 2024 general elections at length and had decided to not admonish specific top leaders, each from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress – Narendra Modi and Amit Shah of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of the Indian National Congress. The Election Commission has been widely criticized for inaction and bias during the elections. 
• On June 4, India’s election results were pronounced. 
• The coalition of the Hindu supremacist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) barely won India’s general elections. The BJP’s coalition – the National Democratic Alliance – barely passed the 50% mark needed to form a government, while the BJP itself won only 44.2% of seats. In comparison, in 2019, the BJP alone won over 55% of seats. This is the first time since 1962 that a government is elected to serve a third term.   
• The BJP lost to the opposition in many of its key constituencies. In Uttar Pradesh state, known as a BJP-stronghold, the opposition alliance (INDIA) received 43.5% of votes, while the BJP’s coalition (NDA) received 43.7%. 
• Only 24 out of 543 (4.42%) of MPs elected are Muslim, down from 26 last term. 
• Only 74 out of 543 (13.62%) MPs elected are women, down from 78 last term. 
• Among the 293 MPs from the BJP’s coalition, the National Democratic Alliance, none are Muslim, Christian or Sikh, despite these being large minority groups in India. 
• Among the Union Ministers appointed, none are Muslim, for the first time in the history of independent India.  
• Previous ministers Smriti Irani and Anurag Thakur, who were both known for their Hindu supremacist stances, were not reappointed as ministers.  
• The Election Commission discarded over 550,000 votes across India, and registered over 35,000 surplus votes in Electronic Voting Machines. Overall, the Election Commission found discrepancies in almost all – 538 out of 542 – constituencies, with the number of votes registered on the voting machines not matching those counted on the results day. 
• On June 5, the National Democratic Alliance (the BJP’s coalition) unanimously elected incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the leader of the coalition. On June 7, India’s President Droupadi Murmu invited Modi to form the government. On June 9, incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn in as India’s Prime Minister for the third consecutive term. 
• On June 8, the Congress Party passed a unanimous resolution to appoint Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament). 
• On June 12, the first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in Odisha state was sworn in. The state has previously been ruled for over 24 years by the Biju Janata Dal, but the BJP gained a majority in recent assembly elections.
   

Election violence 

• On June 1, political party workers and security personnel reportedly clashed during polling in the Basirhat constituency, West Bengal state. The West Bengal government then reportedly imposed a ban on public assembly in 17 areas. 
• On June 1, after polls closed, unidentified assailants reportedly shot and hacked to death a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker in West Bengal state. 

Civil society, human rights defenders and journalists 

• On June 3, Chhattisgarh state police arrested 25-year-old woman human rights defender Sunita Pottam, known for leading protests against police and paramilitary abuses on Adivasis (indigenous peoples) in the Bastar region. The police claimed that Pottam was a Maoist (left wing extremist), against whom the government of India is engaged in an armed conflict. The arrest likely violates the right from arbitrary arrest and detention (Article 9 ICCPR). 
• June 6 marked the six years of incarceration of the BK 16, which include 16 poets, journalists, lawyers, professors, artists, and a Jesuit priest, who have been charged under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 10 of which are still detained without trial. The name comes from the fact that the 16 people were accused of instigating caste violence in Bhima Koregaon in 2018. Their prolonged arbitrary detention has been called out by the UN as violating the right from arbitrary arrest and detention (Article 9 ICCPR). 
• On June 8, Delhi Police informed three journalists – Prabhjit Singh, Shahid Tantray and their female colleague – at The Caravan of an investigation against them in a case that had been lodged four years ago. The three journalists had been reportedly attacked by a mob in North East Delhi while they were reporting a story. After that, the police reportedly filed a case against the mob, as well as the journalists for allegedly “promoting communal enmity”. In a statement, The Caravan claims that the allegations are “absolutely false and fabricated”, and that they had not been informed of the case for four years, while the case regarding the attack against them has been pending. The Press Club of India issued a statement in which it “strongly condemn(ed)” the case. The incident is likely a violation of the freedom to impart information (Article 19 ICCPR). 
• On June 13, Amnesty International released a six-point Human Rights Charter, urging the new Indian government to protect and promote human rights in all its policies and decisions. 
• On June 14, the Delhi Lieutenant Governor reportedly sanctioned the prosecution of award-winning author Arundhati Roy, for allegedly provocative statements made at a 2010 event allegedly propagating Kashmiri separatism, under India’s counterterrorism law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The sanction is likely a violation of the freedom of expression (Article 19 ICCPR).  
• On June 20, French reporter Sébastien Farcis claimed that he had been forced to leave India by the Indian government after working in the country for 13 years as his journalism permit was reportedly not renewed in March. Farcis is a South Asia correspondent for Radio France Internationale, Radio France, Libération and the Swiss and Belgian public radios. The Ministry of Home Affairs allegedly provided no reason for denying the renewal of his journalist permit. 
• On June 27, the Congress party claimed the Delhi Police beat with batons and detained members of its youth wing during a protest against recent allegations of paper leaks and other irregularities in university entrance exams. This raises concerns about the freedom of assembly and the freedom of expression (Articles 19, 21 ICCPR). 

Hate Crimes and Hate Speech against Minorities 

• On June 5, an Indian-origin man in Texas, the United States, was charged with federal hate crime by United States authorities after he allegedly threatened to injure and kill the employees of a Sikh non-profit organisation in 2022. The US therefore appears to have acted upon its obligation to address incitement to discrimination and violence under Article 20 of the ICCPR. 
• On June 7, the spokesperson of the Janata Dal party, a key coalition partner of the BJP in the newly formed government, said they would not allow the new government to propagate campaigns against Muslims and other minority communities. He said: “While we are there [in power with the BJP], no anti-Muslim, anti-minority campaign will be run.” Such campaigns are likely violations of Article 20 of the ICCPR. 
• On June 7, a mob reportedly attacked three cattle transporters in Chhattisgarh state, killing two and injuring one. This follows a trend of vigilante groups lynching people who slaughter cows – which are holy for many Hindus – with tacit state approval. Such lynchings are a violation of the right to life (Article 6 ICCPR). On June 25, Chattisgarh police arrested two men in connection with the lynching. 
• On June 7, police arrested a young man from the Hindu community for inciting communal tension, after he reportedly pretended to be Muslim and threatened voters in a video on social media. He is reportedly from Uttar Pradesh state, where the BJP lost many constituencies in the recent elections. The incident is likely advocacy of religious hatred, which is prohibited under Article 20 of the ICCPR.  
• On June 12, a Hindu supremacist mob allegedly attacked Christian families in Chhattisgarh’s Jagdalpur and gave the families an ultimatum to denounce their religion within 10 days. At least two victims were left unconscious while three were hospitalised after the attack. The village has been a flashpoint for these religious clashes since 2023, with the Christian minorities being the target of these sporadic attacks and intimidation. This incident raises serious concern about religious hatred, prohibited under article 20 of the ICCPR. 
• On June 15, thousands from the Hindu supremacist paramilitary organisations RSS and Hindu Vahini members reportedly attacked a madrasa (Islamic school) over alleged animal sacrifice in Telangana, injuring several. The police have arrested the local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) district president, town president and youth wing president, and seven others in connection with the violence. The violence is likely a violation of the prohibition of the incitement to hatred (Article 20 ICCPR). 
• On June 17, clashes erupted in Jharkhand state over the alleged slaughter of a prohibited animal in public, injuring six including a constable. Subsequently, a large group of people from a village across the canal in Bengal state engaged in counter-protest, with stones being thrown by both groups. The violence continued the next day, with houses reportedly being torched. 
• On June 18, an Odisha district administration imposed prohibitory orders in an area of Odisha’s Balasore town after violence broke out between a Hindu group and a Muslim group a day earlier on the festival of Eid. Internet services were also suspended in a few sensitive areas. The violence broke out a day earlier when a few persons had alleged that cows were being slaughtered as part of the Bakra Eid customs. 
• On June 18, a man who had been allegedly attacked by unidentified persons while transporting cattle in Chattisgarh’s Raipur district died in a hospital after being hospitalised for ten days. Two other men who were accompanying him in the transport were found dead on June 7. The police confirmed that no arrest has yet been made in the case. This event, likely an incident or religious hatred prohibited under Article 20 of the ICCPR, raises concerns about the state’s ability to safeguard the right to life (Article 6 ICCPR). 
• On June 19, Hindu Supremacist groups allegedly vandalised a textiles and cosmetics shop run by a Muslim man. The man had previously reportedly uploaded photos of animal sacrifice as his WhatsApp status on the occasion of the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha. The Uttar Pradesh police arrested the man under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960. Although the animal sacrificed was not protected under the Act, the police stated as a reason for the arrest that the content of the video was “disgusting”. This arrest possibly violates the Article 9 of the ICCPR, which safeguards the right from arbitrary arrests and detention. 
• On June 19, a Muslim man was allegedly lynched by a mob on the suspicion of theft in Uttar Pradesh state. The police have so far arrested four persons in the case and the search for three others is ongoing. The Hindu supremacist group Bajrang Dal, meanwhile, alleged that the victim had entered a home with intent to steal and that the crowd’s response was “a normal reaction”. The incident is likely to be a case of religious hatred, prohibited under article 20 of the ICCPR. The lynching additionally questions the state’s ability to safeguard the right to life (Article 6 ICCPR). 

Religious Freedoms and Minority Rights 

• On June 8, members of the Hindu supremacist Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) reportedly disrupted a university lecture in Udaipur state, over the professor’s previous Facebook post criticising the Ram Temple, which was constructed at the site of a demolished mosque. The university reportedly did not call the police. This is likely a violation of the freedom of expression (Article 19 ICCPR). 
• On June 10, residents of a housing complex in Gujarat’s Vadodara protested the allotment of a house to a Muslim woman. The residents had already staged protests against a Muslim moving into the society in 2020. This is likely an incident of religious hatred constituting incitement to discrimination, prohibited under article 20 of the ICCPR. 
• On June 13, the Supreme Court stayed the theatrical release of the film Hamare Baarah, which has been accused of containing anti-Muslim tropes. The court observed that the film’s teaser was offensive enough to warrant concern over the contents of the full movie. The following day, the Bombay High Court allowed the film to be released in theatres on June 21 after the makers agreed to remove a dialogue and a verse from the Quran from the film and put in disclaimers. 
• On June 16, a group dressed up as Muslims to in New Delhi to “save” 124 goats from being slaughtered during Eid al-Adha. The plan raised Rs 15 lakh (almost 18,000 USD) from Jain community members across Gujarat, Hyderabad, Kerala, Punjab, and Maharashtra. 
• On June 17, National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) director Dinesh Prasad Saklani informed that references to Gujarat riots and extrajudicial Babri mosque demolition were modified in school textbooks because teaching about riots “can create violent and depressed citizens”. This may violate Article 19 of the ICCPR, which guarantees the right to seek, receive and impart information, and which may only be restricted on limited grounds.  
• On June 18, the state government of Rajasthan began the process of introducing a law against illegal religious conversions. Such laws have been passed in 12 states, and are widely criticised for infringing upon freedom of religion in violation of Article 18 of the ICCPR. 
• On June 20, the Uttar Pradesh police arrested 11 persons – nine Muslims and two Hindus – after a video emerged showing them allegedly holding prayers on government land. The incident raises concerns about arbitrary arrests, prohibited under article 9 of the ICCPR. 
• On June 22, the Madhya Pradesh government invoked the National Security Act (NSA) against two Muslim men accused of cow slaughter, and transferred both men in custody. The incident raises concerns about arbitrary arrests, prohibited under article 9 of the ICCPR. 
• On June 25, the Uttar Pradesh police arrested an Afghan café owner in Moradabad for allegedly selling beef burgers. The action was based on the complaint of a Bajrang Dal (Hindu Supremacist militant group) leader. The incident raises concerns of arbitrary detention (Article 9 ICCPR) and of the state safeguarding the right to work (Article 6 ICESCR).  
• On June 25, the Karnataka High Court stayed the investigation of a case filed against YouTuber Ajeet Bharti by the Bengaluru Police for allegedly making false claims about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The Bengaluru Police had filed a case against the YouTuber for allegedly claiming in a video posted on X on June 13 that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi plans to replace the newly inaugurated Ram temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya with a new Babri mosque. The police booked the YouTuber under sections of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to the promotion of enmity between groups on religious grounds and acting in a manner that is prejudicial to maintaining social harmony. 

Internet and Technology 

• On June 11, the fact-checking outlet BOOMLive released a report which found that YouTube failed to act on hate speech and misinformation violations by Hindu supremacist channel Sudarshan News. The report – a joint effort by Dalit Solidarity Forum, Indian American Muslim Council, India Civil Watch International, Hindus for Human Rights, and Tech Justice Law Project – highlights 26 videos published by Sudarshan News (of which 17 were published during the polling phases) that were reported for violating YouTube’s policies on hate speech, misinformation and monetisation, leading up to and during the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. None of the videos faced any actions and continued to thrive on YouTube, accumulating a total of 3.5 million views by the time the report was published. 
• On June 12, the Delhi Police flagged the X (formerly Twitter) account of co-founder of the fact-checking platform Alt News, Mohammed Zubair, and asked the platform to either take down particular content or his whole account. Zubair has been the target of numerous instances of government repression, including arrest in 2022. This raises concerns about the right to free expression in the country (Article 19 ICCPR). 

Political Parties 

• On June 2, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal surrendered at the Tihar jail in New Delhi after his interim bail granted by the Supreme Court in the excise policy-linked money laundering case had ended. He was granted the relief for campaigning in the Lok Sabha elections, and was released from prison on May 11 after spending 50 days in jail.  
• On June 10, Congress sought action against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s IT Cell chief Amit Malviya after a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Hindu Supremacist paramilitary group alleged that Malviya ‘indulged’ in sexual exploitation of women. In response, Amit Malviya filed for defamation, claiming the allegations to be false. 
• On June 16, the Bharatiya Janata Party expelled Aditya Raj Saini, a party leader in Uttarakhand, a day after he was booked for the alleged gang-rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl in Haridwar district. The investigation is still ongoing. 

Executive 

• On June 4, a man died in police custody in Jammu and Kashmir. Police had arrested him a day before for alleged drug possession. Police claimed he developed “severe health complications”, according to local news, while the family of the deceased allege foul play. This incident raises concerns about the right to life and prohibition of torture under the ICCPR (Articles 6 and 7). 
• On June 7, the Delhi police filed a chargesheet against six persons who were jailed six months prior under terror charges for allegedly breaching the security at the new Parliament building. They are charged under India’s anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The accused were arrested after they jumped onto the Parliament’s floor, activating spray canisters to reportedly protest unemployment and other criticisms of the ruling party. The incident raises concerns regarding the right to a timely trial (Article 9 ICCPR).  
• On June 15, security forces allegedly conducting an anti-Maoist operation initiated a gunfight, killing eight alleged Maoists. On June 23, a blast carried out by suspected Maoists killed two personnel from a specialised unit of the Central Reserve Police Force. Both incidents underscore an escalation in violence in the state, jeopardising the right to life under Article 6 of the ICCPR. 

Demolitions 

In recent years, there has been a growing trend of civic authorities in BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)-ruled states demolishing ostensibly illegal properties belonging to those accused of a crime. There are no provisions in law that provide for demolishing property as a punitive measure. The demolitions likely violate the right to work and to an adequate standard of living (Articles 6, 7, 11 ICESCR) and to a fair trial (Article 14 ICCPR). 

• On June 7, authorities in Maharashtra state reportedly demolished parts of a resort owned by the family of a 17-year-old who had killed two people while drunk-driving a month prior.  
• On June 10, the Lucknow Development Authority demolished shops and houses in a predominantly Muslim locality amid heavy security deployment. The demolition was legally given sanction by the Supreme Court.  
• On June 15, authorities in Madhya Pradesh demolished 11 homes after police claimed to have found beef, animal hides and the skeletal remains of cattle there.  
• On June 25, protests erupted as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi accompanied by local police and paramilitary personnel demolished portions of a mosque. The police reported that 20 meters of the mosque were on unauthorized land, but the demolition were allegedly carried out after a Hindu-supremacist leader made a complaint. This also raises concerns about religious repression and religion-based hatred (Article 18, 20, 27 ICCPR).  
• On June 26, authorities in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena district bulldozed the homes of two men accused of cow slaughter. The police claimed that the homes were illegal and built without permission; however, the demolitions followed allegations of cow slaughter. The same week saw authorities demolish dozens of Muslim-owned homes over allegations of cow slaughter. In addition, the Madhya Pradesh police invoked the National Security Act against two Muslim men for allegedly keeping beef in their houses and bulldozed their homes. 

Judiciary 

• On June 3, the Supreme Court directed the central government to hold an emergency meeting of its Upper Yamuna River Board with the States of Delhi, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh to address water scarcity in the national capital amidst soaring temperatures crossing the 50-degree Celsius mark. New Delhi continued to face a severe water crisis with people waiting in long queues to collect water from the water tankers in different parts of the city on the day. The water crisis raises concerns about the government being able to protect the right to an adequate standard of living (Article 11 ICESCR). 
• On June 7, a court granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case against him filed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The allegations concerned advertisings by the Congress party, alleging that the BJP government of one state had taken bribes. On June 26, an Uttar Pradesh court ordered Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to appear before it in connection with another defamation case from 2018, which alleged that Gandhi had made objectionable remarks against Home Minister Amit Shah. 
• On June 10, a Bengaluru court sent former Karnataka MP Prajwal Revanna to judicial custody until June 24 on charges of rape of multiple women. The former MP from the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency was arrested on May 31 after he returned to Bengaluru from Germany, where he had fled on April 26. This came shortly after videos of alleged sexual assault against several women, allegedly recorded by Prajwal Revanna himself, surfaced ahead of the elections. So far, three women have filed complaints of sexual assault. 
• On June 28, the Jharkhand High Court granted bail to Hemant Soren, the state’s former chief minister who had to step down before he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on January 31. The ED’s case was that Soren misused his official position and illegally acquired 8.86 acres land in Ranchi which the agency has termed as “proceeds of crime”. The high court found that no evidence was found to link Soren to the direct involvement of the land’s acquisition. 

Conflict in Manipur 

There has been an armed conflict in Manipur since May 2023, involving militants from the Meitei and Kuki communities. 

• On June 6, violence erupted in Manipur’s Jiribam district, after the body of a man from the Meitei community was found. Authorities then imposed a ban on public assembly and called in additional police forces. On June 8, militants reportedly set on fire a police outpost and several houses. The police replaced the superintendent of police in the district. 
• On June 10, militants reportedly ambushed the convoy of Manipur’s Chief Minister Singh, injuring one security officer.  
• On June 11, the Manipur Government reportedly deported 38 immigrants from Myanmar who were allegedly illegally staying in India. They had been lodged in designated camps in a local jail for illegally entering the country. This follows deportations in previous months, which have drawn criticism. India has no national refugee law, and is not a signatory to the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention. Refugees from Myanmar are often labelled as illegal immigrants, legitimising broad human rights violations, such as arbitrary arrests, unlawful killings and rape, points which have all been severely criticised by civil society actors like Amnesty International.

Compiled by The London Story.