Jihadist Threats and Propaganda Campaigns Target Indian Elections

Executive Summary:

• Islamist groups, including al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP), and Islamic State in Hind Province (ISHP), attempted to destabilize India during the legislative elections from April to June with threats, anti-Hindu/anti-democratic propaganda, and terrorist attacks. Most of these efforts were foiled, but collectively the actions represented a large-scale attempt to destabilize Indian society.
• Much of the propaganda promoted by Islamist radical groups revolves around the Ayodhya dispute, which refers to the construction of the Rama Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The pro-Hindu government led by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) made the construction of the temple over the site of the 400-year-old Babri Mosque (torn down in 1992) a key plank in its platform. Hindus allege that the Babri Mosque was itself constructed by the Mughals over a former Hindu temple to Rama.

General elections in India present a critical moment for the country’s democracy and are often challenged not only by internal socio-political discord but also by anti-India terror groups, such as al-Qaeda, Islamic State (IS), and a range of other Islamist militant factions. The massive seven-phase electoral period from April 19 to June 1, 2024 was exploited by these groups to incite violence, destabilize society, challenge the Indian security apparatus, and exploit perceived fears of right-wing Hindu organizations to disrupt elections and target political leaders (India Today, May 20; News18 [India], August 23; OpIndia, September 20). While most of the plots were foiled by India’s security services and no major attacks succeeded, they contributed to a growing sense of sense of insecurity among the country’s Hindu majority.

Al-Qaeda’s Anti-India Messages

Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) stepped up anti-India propaganda at least a month ahead of the announcement of the general elections in India to target the pro-Hindu ruling government led by Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). In particular, AQIS opposed the construction of the Rama Temple, considered part of what is called the Ayodhya dispute. Hindus allege that the 16th-century Babri Mosque—which occupied the same site until it was demolished in 1992—was constructed by the Mughals on the location of a former Hindu temple to Rama. The Rama Temple’s (re)construction was a central electoral plank for the BJP in the election, alongside the demolishing of what it deemed illegal and dilapidated mosques in the country as part of an anti-encroachment drive. On February 17, a month before the actual polling dates were announced, AQIS released a message titled “In the context of the demolition of Mosque in India”, which called on Muslim youths to wage jihad to defend mosques and madrasas (Jihadology, February 17).

In addition, just ahead of India’s first phase of the election on April 19, a seven-page Urdu-language Eid al-Fitr statement by AQIS leader Usama Mahmoud was released. Titled “If you support god, he will support you,” it stressed jihad as a necessary response to what AQIS perceives as a global war against Islam. The message condemned the inauguration of the Rama Temple on the site of the Babri Mosque (Outlook India, December 6, 2022; India Today, January 23). It, too, criticized the Hindu conspiracy for the demolition of mosques and the “genocide of Muslims” in India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP-led Hindu nationalist government (Jihadology, April 8).

Islamic State’s Incitement to Anti-Hindu and Anti-Democracy Activities

Anti-Hindu and anti-India propaganda are regularly released by Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP), which threatened to take revenge for the destruction of Muslim monuments and alleged abuses against Muslims. Likewise, al-Jauhar media group (a pro-Islamic State in Hind Province (ISHP) outlet) urged Indian Muslims not to seek citizenship under the democratic set-up in India but to wage jihad against Hindus. The group published the fourth issue of Serat ul Haq (SuH) in July 2024 and criticized Indian Muslims for their participation in the recent election process, which resulted in Modi securing a third term. A cover story on the issue accused Indian Muslims of “enabling their oppression” by facilitating the re-election of Modi and his party to power.

SuH further argued that Muslim involvement in the democratic process had empowered their adversaries and that it would result in heightened discrimination against them. The article called on Muslims to reject the current “oppressive” political system and to “embrace jihad and sharia law” as a path forward. [1] Similarly, the previous issue of SuH in April 2024 covered a variety of subjects, including the Ayodhya dispute (Supreme Court Observer, January 23). An article titled “Muslim in the trap of democracy” further reminded Indian Muslims how the BJP and allied groups came to power in 2014 by promising change and development but ended up suppressing the Muslim community. [2]

Anti-India Terror Continues

Amid this wave of propaganda, Indian security agencies thwarted several major operations by uncovering encrypted chats and video messages. For example, on May 19, four Sri Lankan nationals associated with ISKP were arrested by the Gujarat police. According to investigations, they were all linked to Sri Lanka’s April 2019 Easter Sunday attackers and reportedly in communication with an IS handler in Pakistan, who directed them to conduct suicide attacks targeting Jews and Hindus in Gujarat (India Today, May 20).

In addition, in Jammu and Kashmir, several incidents occurred before the sixth phase of elections scheduled for May 25. In Anantnag, for example, Islamic militants targeted a tourist camp near Pahalgam, injuring a couple from Rajasthan on May 18. In Shopian’s Hirpora, BJP leader Aijaz Sheikh was also fatally shot in an attack (NDTV News, May 19). Prior to that, LeT militants laid an ambush on an Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy near Shahsitar, killing one and injuring at least four IAF personnel (The Wire, May 5). Further, on May 22, when the last two phases of polling were planned, the Ministry of Home Affairs in Delhi received a bomb threat, resulting in a high alert in the national capital, New Delhi (Hindustan Times, May 22). Lastly, on June 9, when Narendra Modi was sworn in as India’s Prime Minister for the third time in Delhi, militants attacked a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims to Shivkhori in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi District, killing and injuring more than 40 people (Business Today, June 10).

Conclusion

Propaganda campaigns and sporadic violence during the 18th Lok Sabha (Lower House) elections heightened tensions and polarized communities along religious lines in India. Although they have not succeeded in perpetrating major violence, threats against Hindus and political parties have created a sense of insecurity and fear. This will have lasting effects on communal harmony and future political dynamics in India.

Notes:

[1] “Blood of Muslims is the Achievement of Democracy,” Serat ul Haq (Al Jauhar Media), July 11, 2024, p.2–3

[2] “Muslims in the Trap of Democracy,” Serat ul Haq (Al Jauhar Media), April 13, 2024, pp. 9–12.