Minorities not safe in India under Modi govt: FM Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Monday slammed India over brutal attack on unarmed Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia students protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, ARY News reported.

The foreign minister, while addressing the National Assembly session, has said the Indian police baton-charged the protesting students and fired tear gas, leaving six dead and scores injured.

“The Modi government continues to curb and undermine the rights of minorities in accordance with Hindutva Supremacist ideology,” he added.

He further said: “Illegal annexation of Kashmir, Babari Masjid, Citizenship Amendment Bill which excludes Muslims are all targeted towards the subjugation of minorities.

Commenting over Kashmir’s situation, the foreign minister said held valley and Muslim majority areas of Jammu and Ladakh regions continued to remain grim on the 132nd consecutive day.

FM Qureshi said the ban on internet service and mobile connections is still in place in held valley, adding Modi-led Indian government not allowing human rights observers and journalists to visit occupied Kashmir.

Later, the lower house unanimously approved a resolution against India’s new citizenship law, calling it a violation of human rights, international laws and discriminatory against Muslims.

The resolution urged the international community to exert pressure over India to ensure the rights of minorities in general and protect the rights of Muslims in particular.

The NA also demanded of the world to take notice of the discriminatory bill against Muslims and help end violence against the minorities and the Muslim students in India.

It must be noted that students across India have been staging protests against the Narendra Modi government’s decision to enact the anti-Muslim Citizenship Act. The Act provides natural citizenship to every single non-Muslim living in India illegally.

Amnesty International today slammed Indian police for its “violent” action against students at Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) protesting against the amended citizenship act.