“After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took full control over the Indian government in 1998, some Indian states signed new laws against Christians, banning conversion activities. Hindu nationalist groups continue attacks against India’s Christians and its Muslim minority, which still numbers close to 150 million in a country of one billion. BJP leaders have been present during violent episodes, and the party maintains close ties to groups identified by human rights advocates as instigators and perpetrators of ethnic violence. Even the basis on which the party was elected in 1998 is considered inflammatory by some, with the premise of building a temple on the ruins of a mosque demolished by Hindu nationalists.” (Din, 2005, p.22)
The electoral successes of the BJP during the late 1990s suggest that right-wing ideology still has currency in Indian polity. While ideology and power continue to be exercised in India to create popular consensus, the deceptions and dangers they usually encompass is not understood by a majority of the population.
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