India trying to curb freedom of speech, hate crimes intensified: Amnesty

The report also speaks about issues like a threat to journalists and killing of Gauri Lankesh, an editor who was shot dead outside her residence in Bengaluru in 2017

Religious minorities, particularly Muslims, in India faced increasing "demonization", global rights group Amnesty International said on Thursday, accusing Indian authorities of using laws to stifle freedom of expression in the country.

In its latest annual report released, the group paints a bleak picture of human rights situation in South Asia. With reference to India, it said incidents like cow vigilantism and lynchings in the name of beef-eating plagued India over the past year, alleging inaction by the government.

"In India, dozens of hate crimes against Muslims took place across the country against the backdrop of a wave of Islamophobia under the Hindu