Concerns have been raised for Christians and other minorities in India following the landslide victory of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the country’s general election in early May.
The BJP won 282 out of 543 seats, routing the secular Congress party, which has been in power for the last ten years. BJP leader Narendra Modi, a divisive and controversial figure who focused his campaign on reviving the flagging Indian economy, is set to become prime minister.
Hindu nationalism
The BJP is the political wing of a Hindu nationalist movement, Hindutva, which is striving to make India a religiously pure nation. Its emphatic victory in the election is therefore ominous for Christians and other non-Hindus in the country.
