BJP fueled hatred after Muslim man’s lynching in India, probe finds
Fact-finding team says BJP leaders exploited Imroz Ansari’s killing to deepen religious divisions as Muslims faced economic boycott in village in eastern India
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Leaders of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party helped inflame communal hostility after a Muslim man was lynched in eastern Jharkhand state, while Hindu residents subsequently imposed an economic boycott on Muslims, according to findings by a team of civil rights activists.
The investigation found that BJP leaders held gatherings that further polarized the village after the Aug. 4 killing of Imroz Ansari, while local authorities failed to act against inflammatory speeches despite restrictions on public gatherings, according to The Hindustan Gazette.
The team included activists associated with several civil rights groups, including Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha.
Ansari, a resident of Bargaon village in Chatra district, was beaten to death by a Hindu mob after being accused of kidnapping and raping a minor Dalit girl.
Both the independent team and the Jharkhand Minority Commission have since raised questions about the allegations that preceded his killing.
The fact-finding team said the accusations against Ansari require a proper investigation but concluded there were clear indications that his lynching was communal in nature and that Hindu extremist groups subsequently used the killing to sharpen divisions between Hindus and Muslims.
It identified Vijay Chaube, a former elected village head with BJP links, as the alleged leader of the mob. Chaube is described as an influential local figure who has twice headed the village government, while his wife currently holds the position. Fourteen people have been arrested over Ansari’s killing, but Chaube remains at large.
The communal mobilisation continued after the lynching. On Aug. 7, Kisun Das, a former BJP state lawmaker and leader of the party’s Scheduled Caste wing, addressed Hindu residents at a mass gathering in the village.
Video cited by the investigators recorded Das warning that minorities would benefit if they “follow rules” before referring to Ansari’s killing and saying others could meet the same fate.
The gathering responded with chants of “Jai Shri Ram,” a Hindu religious slogan increasingly used by Hindu extremists during anti-Muslim intimidation and violence.
Senior BJP leader Babulal Marandi and other party politicians addressed another gathering two days later. The fact-finding team said the meetings widened the communal divide rather than attempting to calm tensions after the killing.
Muslim residents have since faced economic isolation, according to the investigation, with Hindu vegetable sellers and shopkeepers refusing to sell goods to them. Such collective boycotts have increasingly become a tool of anti-Muslim mobilization in parts of India, targeting entire communities economically over incidents involving individuals.
Investigators also questioned the circumstances surrounding the accusation that triggered the lynching.
After visiting the homes of Ansari and the girl, they said their proximity and physical layout made aspects of the alleged abduction difficult to reconcile with the account presented against him. A criminal case was nevertheless registered against Ansari and his parents.
The team also accused police of serious failures before and after the killing. Officers were allegedly informed that the girl was missing a day before Ansari was lynched but did not immediately visit the village to investigate.
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