Activists launch campaign against India's Election Commission after Muslim voters targeted

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00:00Nearly 200 kilometers from Delhi, this village Obery in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh

00:06is still haunted by the events of election day.

00:10Look at this.

00:12On the 7th of May, over 10 cars full of policemen entered this polling station, chasing out

00:18the voters.

00:19More than 200 people were beaten up allegedly for having fake election documents.

00:25They beat me and took my election card.

00:28When she was beaten up, she was hit on her leg.

00:32They were thrashing even old people, women, everyone.

00:35Here, with almost 5,000 voters being Muslims, villagers say they know why they were targeted.

00:43No one was Hindu.

00:44Everyone who was beaten up was Muslim.

00:46There were at least 30 to 40 people.

00:48They all had sticks and rods and they just started beating us indiscriminately.

00:52Voting is my right.

00:53That's why I went back and still voted.

00:56It's not the only attack on Muslims during this election.

01:00Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been accused of spreading hate against minority communities

01:06through his speeches.

01:08Social activists like Shabnam Hashmi blame the Election Commission of India for not taking

01:13action against it.

01:15They have launched a campaign to encourage voters to send hundreds of postcards to the

01:20chief of polling body.

01:22Their message is, grow a spine or resign.

01:26If they had a spine, they would feel embarrassed.

01:29They don't because they are not doing anything.

01:31They are all appointed by this present government without any fair process and they are delivering

01:36what the government wants.

01:38This former chief election commissioner is concerned about the credibility of the institute

01:44which he helped grow.

01:45It hurts me no end.

01:46There was a time when this was the most trusted institution, even more than the judiciary

01:52and any damage to its trust is very damaging for the country.

01:57With the Election Commission remaining silent against violation complaints, a growing number

02:02of voters doubt whether it can be called a free and fair election.

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