India’s prime minister Narendra Modi has for the first time condemned violence against minorities, saying that everyone has a duty to fight the “menace” of mob lynchings.

But his critics say that, after four years in power at the head of a Hindu nationalist government, the comments have come too late.

Under Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the number of violent acts against Christians, Muslims and tribal Dalits (members of the India’s lowest caste) have increased.

Modi was “silent for the last four years when Muslims and Dalit people were attacked by fanatic groups in broad daylight and mercilessly killed”, said Saurbh Kumar, a political commentator based in northern Uttar Pradesh, as reported by UCAN.

He added that if Modi had taken a strong stance against these attacks and asked his officials to make sure that lawbreakers were punished, it could have saved many lives.

Full article here.

Photo: Attacks on Christians in India by Hindu extremists have increased on Prime Minister Modi’s watch (World Watch Monitor)