On Sunday, more than 100,000 Hindu monks and activists close to the BJP held a rally in Delhi demanding legislation for the construction of a Hindu temple on the site of a 16th century mosque that was pulled down in 1992, sparking riots across the country that killed about 2,000 people. Many Hindus believe the mosque was built by a Muslim chieftain over the birthplace of Hindu god-king Ram.
Muslims say they increasingly feel like second-class citizens in their own country.
"The BJP will definitely benefit from such incidents," said Tahir Saifi, a Muslim community leader a few miles from the area of violence who supports a regional opposition party in Uttar Pradesh. "They want all Hindus to unite, and when religion comes into the picture, other issues like development take a back seat."
