India’s parliament has fewer Muslims as strength of Modi’s party grows

By SHEIKH SAALIQ and KRUTIKA PATHI
Associated Press

MALAPPURAM, India (AP) — The political power of Muslims is declining in the world’s largest democracy. Tensions between Hindus and Muslims in India are not new, but they have gotten worse under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His ruling Bharatiya Janata Party touts a Hindu-nationalist ideology and is on the cusp of delivering him a third five-year term. As the BJP becomes more powerful — this year’s vote will be decided in June — the proportion of Muslim lawmakers in parliament and state legislatures is shrinking. One political scientist said India has gone from being a country where Muslims were largely marginalized to one where they are “actively excluded.”