India's largest religious minority being targeted during COVID-19: CPI(M)

CPI(M) on Wednesday alleged that India's largest religious minority is being targeted at a time when the country is battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The Politburo of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the communal targeting of India's largest religious minority the Muslims that is increasingly taking place during the current battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Nasty abuses, social media postings dutifully relayed by the trolls of the ruling party supporters is simply not acceptable. They violate basic constitutional provisions. Such crimes must be proceeded against and punished in accordance with law," the party said in a statement.

It also said such "communal hate campaign" will put livelihood of millions of Indians, living abroad particularly in Gulf countries at risk.

It said in 2019, about 3 lakh Indians joined lakhs of others in the Gulf countries and West Asia, from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. Indian-origin persons make up the largest group of migrants in the world - about 17.5 million.

"The central government must immediately invoke the provisions of the Disaster Management Act and take action against people, including political leaders and others holding high offices, who disrupt the united fight of all Indians against the pandemic by spreading venomous communal hatred. The law must be invoked to stringently punish such criminals, it said.