Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new parliament building in the nation’s capital, New Delhi, in a magnificent ceremony fraught with controversy.
However, considering Modi’s difficult past with the Muslim community, the inclusion of the recitation of Surah Rahman, the 55th Chapter of the Holy Quran, at the inauguration has provoked a heated discussion.
More than a dozen opposition parties boycotted the ceremony, which took place on Sunday, highlighting the underlying tensions.
Modi, a devout Hindu nationalist, has faced criticism in the past for perceived bigotry against India’s Muslim majority.
Many opponents of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and members of the Muslim community accused the Prime Minister of seeking to construct an optics-driven facade of inclusivity, so hiding his stance towards Muslims.
According to critics, this symbolic move does not relieve Modi of the bigger claims of religious discrimination that have haunted his tenure.
Detractors refer to occurrences like as the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and his handling of the Gujarat riots in 2002 while he was Chief Minister of Gujarat.
These events have fuelled claims that his government’s policies disproportionately affect India’s Muslim population and perpetuate a sense of marginalisation.
