Prime Minister Rishi Sunak must address India’s human rights record during his attendance at the G20 summit in New Delhi this weekend, said Amnesty International today.

Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s Chief Executive, said:

“India’s hosting of the G20 offers a crucial opportunity for Rishi Sunak to speak openly and frankly to Prime Minister Modi about India’s appalling human rights record, and the much-anticipated UK-India trade deal talks must not silence that.  

“Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, the Indian authorities have harassed, silenced and carried out arbitrary arrests of Government critics, placed unlawful restrictions on journalists and human rights defenders, and launched punitive raids on the offices of NGOs and media organisations such as the BBC.

“There’s been a deeply worrying pattern of anti-Muslim hate speech from numerous political and religious leaders, and Muslims and other minorities have been on the receiving end of discriminatory laws.”

Rise in hate crimes against minority groups

Under Narender Modi’s governing party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), hate crimes against Muslims, Christians and other minorities have surged. There are several reports of serious human rights violations and abuses in the Northeast State of Manipur in India, including alleged acts of sexual violence, extrajudicial killings, home destruction, forced displacement, torture and ill-treatment.

The authorities have failed to prevent religious violence across the country and have consistently failed to bring to justice police officials and politicians suspected of involvement in large-scale attacks on religious minorities. Politicians across parties, particularly the BJP, have contributed to religious tensions by justifying discrimination and advocating for hatred and violence against Muslims in their speeches.