MANILA, Philippines – The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) strongly condemns the Indian government’s ineffective handling of and (lack of) response to anti-Muslim violence in the wake of the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

The situation was made worse by Kapil Mishra’s, a leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), order to the police to clear the protest site ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit. A video released on Twitter showed this same official giving an ultimatum to the police. Soon after, CAA supporters, flanked by police officers, approached the protest site chanting “Jai Shree Ram!” (“Hail Lord Ram!”), a slogan associated with right-wing Hindus, followed by stones being thrown towards the protesters.