New Delhi, Jan 23 (EFE).- Indian minorities, particularly Muslims, fear fresh violence and discrimination in the country amidst public euphoria around the grand opening of a gigantic new Hindu temple, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said.

A handout photo made available by the Indian press information bureau showing Indian devotees and participants attending the ceremony at the the lord Ram temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India 22 January 2024. EFE-EPA/PRESS INFORMATION BUREAU HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES

On Monday, India witnessed the consecration of the Hindu deity Lord Ram in the northern city of Ayodhya, over 30 years after a violent mob demolished a 500-year-old mosque that stood at the same place.

Thousands of devotees, including several celebrities, attended the event where Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the poster boy of Hindu nationalism, unveiled the idol of Ram on Monday.

While authorities have increased security in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, Muslim residents of the city are concerned over their safety, HRW said.

“One group wrote to the police requesting law enforcement remain vigilant as devotees from throughout India visit the city over the coming weeks,” the global rights group said Monday.

Tens of thousands of pilgrims across the country are expected to visit Ayodhya every day for the next few months.

Some Muslims in Ayodhya have sent their families away from the city, HRW said.

India is experiencing a rise in the violent Hindutva ideology, which revolves around the idea that Hindus are true Indians, while Christians, Muslims, and people from other religious minorities are foreigners who should be expelled or marginalized.

“Many Indian Muslims on social media have also cautioned against impending violence and have called for community members to avoid travelling by public transportation.”

While several businesses remained closed on Monday to celebrate the temple’s consecration, others stayed shut to prevent vandalism.

The supporters of Modi’s now-ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have committed violence in the past with impunity and have been emboldened by political patronage, HRW noted.

The Hindu temple stands on the ruins of a 16th-century mosque built by the first Mughal emperor, Babar.

The mosque was demolished in 1992 by a mob of Hindu fanatics led by Hindu extremist organizations and the BJP.

The demolition sparked a wave of religious riots, killing 2,000 people, mostly Muslims, in a constitutionally secular country that is home to the world’s third-largest Muslim population after Indonesia and Pakistan.

An estimated 14.2 percent of India’s population, or 172 million people, are Muslims, according to the last census carried out in 2011.

According to Hindus, the mosque was built on an ancient temple, which marked the birthplace of the god Ram.

The decades-long dispute between Hindus and Muslims was settled in 2019 when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Hindus and allowed them to construct a new temple. EFE