Indian election campaign marred by Islamophobia allegations against Modi's BJP party

An online video advertisement linked to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as part of its election campaign in Jharkhand, eastern India, has sparked widespread criticism for promoting anti-Muslim sentiment.

The video, released on November 16, has drawn sharp rebuke during the ongoing state assembly elections, Caliber.Az reports via Arab media.

The first phase of voting occurred on November 13, with the second phase scheduled for 20 November, and the results expected on November 23.

The controversy revolves around the video’s portrayal of Muslims entering the home of an opposition supporter. In the clip, a woman appears to recoil as though the newcomers emit an unpleasant odour. Muslim children are depicted as dirtying furniture, while women in hijabs and niqabs seem to dominate the household.

Critics have condemned the advert, accusing the ruling BJP of fostering hatred against Muslims and minority communities.

"Modi’s BJP is using Islamophobic propaganda for election campaigning. India’s Election Commission has become too subservient to Modi to stop this madness," Indian-Swedish academic Ashok Swain wrote on X.

Mehbooba Mufti, leader of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (PDP), also criticised the advertisement, describing it as “deplorably communal” and an attack on India’s secular identity.

“BJP’s campaign in the Jharkhand elections would make the Kashmiri leadership turn in their graves,” Mufti stated on X. “They chose to join a secular, democratic India despite Jammu and Kashmir being a Muslim-majority state. This choice was made with the vision of a pluralistic nation where all religions could coexist peacefully and honourably.”

In response, the Election Commission of India (ECI) directed the removal of the video from BJP’s social media accounts on November 17, asserting that it appeared to breach the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) enforced during the elections. Jharkhand’s Chief Electoral Officer was instructed to ensure the video was taken down, and the BJP subsequently deleted it from all online platforms.

The controversy has intensified scrutiny of the BJP’s campaign tactics, which have previously been criticised for fostering divisive rhetoric.

In September, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah described Bangladeshis and Rohingyas as “infiltrators” and declared that under BJP rule, “every infiltrator will be hanged upside down.”

Islamophobic content has also featured in earlier BJP campaigns. During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a BJP-affiliated account on X from Karnataka posted an inflammatory animation accusing the opposition Congress party of enabling Muslim dominance over other communities.

The post was later removed following a police notice. Similarly, an official BJP Instagram account shared an animated video depicting Muslims as invaders and alleging that Congress sought to redistribute wealth from Hindus to Muslims. This post was also deleted after backlash.

The ongoing controversy highlights the polarising strategies often employed during Indian elections, raising questions about the nation’s commitment to its secular and pluralistic values.

By Aghakazim Guliyev