Washington – America’s top-brass Intelligence assessment revealed on Tuesday that there is a strong possibility of communal clashes in India during the upcoming general elections in May if BJP presses on Hindutva based nationalistic themes.
Daniel Coats, Director of National Intelligence, submitted a written document – about the possible communal clashes in India – to the powerful Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which was a part of US Intelligence Community assessment of worldwide threats in 2019.
“Parliamentary elections in India increase the possibility of communal violence if Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stresses Hindu nationalist themes,” Coats told members of the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
Apart from Coats, other US Intelligence members such as Gina Haspel (CIA Director), who recently returned from India, Christopher Wray (FBI Director), Robert Ashley (Defense Intelligence Agency Director) presented themselves before Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, to present their assessment on worldwide threats that may occur during 2019.
“BJP policies during Modi’s first term have deepened communal tensions in some BJP-governed states, and Hindu nationalist state leaders might view a Hindu-nationalist campaign as a signal to incite low-level violence to animate their supporters,” Coats said in his written statement.
“Increasing communal clashes could alienate Indian Muslims and allow Islamist terrorist groups in India to expand their influence,” Coats warned ahead of the general election.
