"The excitement and enthusiasm with which this anti-Muslim campaign has been taken up is a deeply worrying phenomenon," writes Apoorvanand for Al Jazeera.

"It adds to already existing conspiracy theories about Muslims waiting in the wings, reproducing at a frantic pace to outnumber Hindus and 'pollute' the Hindu land. Since the community was already seen as plotting to inflict damage on 'Mother India', it was easy to 'establish' that Muslims would seek to infect Hindus with coronavirus to destroy them."

The outbreak and its accompanying anti-Muslim drive may lead to even further ostracisation of the community

"Muslims have been disenfranchised politically, now this campaign can break them economically and make their survival impossible."

Read the full article here.