These photo-opportunities are not accidental. Since this government came to power, whenever Muslims or Dalits (formerly known as untouchables) have been lynched, it has failed to express disgust and outrage. The odd minster might make a pathetically anodyne remark – too many days later and under media pressure – about how “the law must be maintained” but none of these remarks have conveyed genuine revulsion at innocent people being killed.

The worst offender has been Modi himself. Despite more than a dozen people being killed since May, he has held no press conference to condemn the lynchings or to reassure Muslims (and other victims) that he will protect them. No statement. No speech. Worse, no visit to the family of the victim.

The only time he has spoken out was to utter two trite comments after the lynching of a Muslim teenager last year. He tweeted: “As a society, there is no place for violence”, and “No person in this nation has the right to take the law in his or her own hands”. Not exactly a stinging indictment of his cow vigilante and Muslim-baiting supporters.

Modi has totally failed to provide any moral leadership amid this medieval cruelty. Every month, on state-owned radio, he has a cosy fireside chat with ordinary Indians, called Mann ke Baat (From the Heart). They send him their questions and he responds. He has talked about everything from the value of yoga and meditation and the problems of farmers to how students need to cope with exam stress.

In none of these 44 episodes has he chosen to take up the issue of mob violence and lynchings. He travels all over the world but cannot make a trip to the homes of the victims often only a few hours’ drive from the capital.

The BJP has been playing a clever double game: covertly indicating a certain solidarity with its criminal supporters while publicly simulating mild dismay at their crimes. Sinha’s smiling manner with convicted murderers has ended even that genteel little hypocrisy.

Amrit Dhillon is a freelance journalist in New Delhi