Modi's Hindutva project may endanger peace, say experts.

ISLAMABAD -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's HindAutva project can imperil regional peace, warned security experts.

They were speaking at a seminar on 'India's Strategic Posture and Implications for Stability in South Asia' organised by the Centre for International Strategic Studies, Islamabad (CISS), in collaboration with University of Sargodha, a press release said on Wednesday.

Ever since his re-election, Mr Modi has taken a number of brazen steps, including the enactment of a controversial new citizenship law, to marginalise Indian minorities, particularly the Muslims. Protests have erupted in India over the Citizenship Amendment Act, which became a law last week after both houses of Indian parliament approved and then was signed into law by President Ram Nath Kovind.

The discussions on these developments in India have so far been from the perspective of anti-Muslim actions by the BJP government. The experts, at the seminar, tried to look at the developing situation from security lens.

Former Senior Strategic Plans Division official Khalid Banuri, speaking on this occasion, said that the rise of ultra-nationalism was a grave challenge to global and regional stability. 'Regionally, India's rising extremism reflected in Hindutva is a dangerous trend and needs to be countered with Pakistan's aggressive diplomacy sustained over a long period of time,' he maintained.

Recalling the Balakot stand-off, Mr Banuri said that Pakistan's 'proportionate and calculated' response to India's 'failed' strikes demonstrated the capability and will to respond to...