Spate of public lynchings in India: Mob rule the new rule?
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In recent months, India has seen a spate of public lynchings perpetrated by extremist Hindu groups and angry mobs. The victims of such mob violence are predominantly Muslims and other minorities. They are accused of eating beef and slaughtering cows - an animal considered sacred in Hinduism. The string of mob murders have put the spotlight on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his right-wing government.
For the first time, figures on the lynchings have been published and they prove a dire read: Since 2010, a total of 63 mob attacks have been recorded, with a staggering 97 percent of them taking place since Modi came to power in 2014. The figures also show that more than eight in 10 victims are Muslims. The ultra-violent assaults seem to point to a trend fueled by an increase in religious fundamentalism in which Hindu extremist are inciting mob violence. Our correspondents Mandakini Gahlot, Philomene Remy, Yannis Granier and Suyash Shrivastava met with victims of the violence as well as the extremist Hindu militias perpetrating it.
A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett, Jessica Sestili and Christopher Davis.
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