Modi faces backlash over hoisting RSS flag at Ram Temple in Ayodhya
Concerns intensify over minorities’ rights under rising Hindutva narrative
New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing strong criticism for hoisting the Hindutva RSS flag at the under-construction Ram Temple in Ayodhya, built on the site of the demolished Babri Masjid.
According to Kashmir Media Service, critics argue that the growing convergence between PM Modi-led Indian government and the RSS is heightening anxieties among minorities in India, particularly Muslims. They said the BJP has exploited both the Babri Masjid demolition and the construction of the Ram Temple for political purposes, while undermining the sentiments of religious minorities by projecting the temple as a “national achievement”. They further said that the construction of the Ram temple was possible under the ideological influence of the RSS and the BJP.
Narendra Modi’s hoisting of the RSS flag at the Ram temple has also sparked a new debate in India regarding the Hindutva narrative and minorities’ rights.
Addressing the event, Modi said that this occasion in Ayodhya is an important milestone in India’s cultural journey, while Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also called it the “beginning of a new era” and a symbol of national pride for 140 crore Indian citizens.
However, various political parties and social activists in India have termed the development a cause of concern for minorities. Critics warn that the growing religious polarization and state patronage of Hindutva ideology are posing threats to the rights and religious freedoms of Indian minorities.
