(Image source from: Why is Modi silent over 'anti-Muslim' incidents?})

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has maintained silence over 'anti-Muslim' incidents in the last week. This has raised fears amongst various quarters that his Hindu nationalist followers will upset the peaceful religious co-existence prevalent in the country.

Modi's BJP formed government at the centre after sweeping the polls in the general elections held in April-May 2014. During the election campaigns Modi's promised to revive the economy, while making references to giving a Hindu identity to India.

Last week, a video clip showing radical Hindu party MPs force-feeding food to a Muslim caterer in the month of Ramzan. In another incident, a BJP politician was seen questioning the national identity of well-known Indian Muslim tennis star. Another incident reported was that of an ally of the PM saying India may become a Hindu nation under the leadership of Mr. Modi.

Narendra Modi has refrained to speak on any of these issues. This has sparked criticism from commentators as Modi's silence is being seen as an encouragement to aggressive behaviour by his not-so tolerant party members and other organisations related to BJP.

A recent editorial on The Times of India pointed out that the prime minister should speak strongly against these comments. This will reassure the minority community that the apprehensions they have about the intension of Modi's regime are misplaced. Modi's silence will only encourage these elements, the editorial added.

India has seen several violent communal flare-ups in its history, especially between the majority Hindu and Muslims. India is the third most populous Muslim nation in the world.

On Wednesday, Indian TV channels aired footage of a lawmaker from Shiv Sena, an ally of the BJP, trying to force-feed chapati to a Muslim caterer in the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Shiv Sena MP, Rajan Vichare later defended himself saying he was unaware that the caterer was Muslim and fasting. Vichare said he was only trying to point out that the food was of bad quality.

The chapati incident saw protests in parliament, where one BJP member even said that some opposition politicians should be sent to Pakistan. Later he apologised for his uncalled for comments.

On Thursday, BJP leader K Laxman questioned the chief minister's move to name Indian tennis star Sania Mirza as the brand ambassador of Telangana. He also said that Mirza, who is married to a Pakistani cricketer, was Pakistan's "daughter-in-law".

Following this incident, Sania Mirza, who broke down on a national news channel interview, termed Laxman's statement unfair that she had to assert her "Indianness".

On Thursday Sania's Twitter post read: "I am an Indian who will remain an Indian until the end of my life."

The ruling BJP has distanced itself from the remarks of Laxman.

Cabinet minister Prakash Javadekar stated that Sania Mirza is India's pride, but it was Modi's silence that newspaper editorials wrote about.

The BJP came into prominence in the late 1980s after focusing on Hindu identity. They mobilised a movement around the Babri Masjid, in Ayodhya, saying it was the birthplace of Lord Ram. The movement led to the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992, followed by riots across India.

Modi himself faced the flak as Gujarat CM for not being able to halt the 2002 riots in his state. He has been accused of looking the other way when Hindu mobs killed thousands of Muslims in the n Gujarat riots of 2002.

Modi, however, denied all allegations and recently the Supreme Court has absolved him of any responsibility in the incident.

AW: Pratima Tiga