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Hate Speech

CJP seeks action against BJP leaders for alleged hate speech amid Jharkhand polls

Complaint urges State Election Commission intervention as inflammatory speeches by BJP leaders threaten communal harmony and shift focus from core development issues, violating election laws and the Model Code of Conduct.

In a complaint addressed to the Jharkhand State Election Commission, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) has raised serious concerns about the divisive rhetoric employed by BJP leaders Naveen Jaiswal and Shivraj Singh Chouhan during an election rally in Ranchi, Jharkhand, on October 24, 2024. As Jharkhand prepares for its state elections, CJP asserts that these speeches have severely compromised social harmony and threaten the democratic values that elections should uphold.

The complaint highlights how the two leaders’ speeches deviated from issues of development, such as healthcare, employment, and infrastructure, in favour of stoking fear and communal divisions. CJP argues that this rhetoric violates both the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and provisions under the Representation of People Act (RPA), 1951, particularly Section 123, which prohibits corrupt practices in elections, including attempts to sway voters through communal or religious division.

In his speech, BJP MLA Naveen Jaiswal framed the election as a defence against an alleged “takeover” of Jharkhand by “Bangladeshi infiltrators and Rohingya Muslims,” accusing the ruling JMM-Congress coalition of enabling these communities to settle illegally. By portraying Muslims as an existential threat to Jharkhand’s indigenous culture, Jaiswal’s statements urged Adivasi and indigenous communities to vote based on fear, rather than on traditional governance issues.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Minister of Agriculture, echoed and intensified these sentiments, alleging that Bangladeshi immigrants were “stealing” resources, jobs, and even deceiving local women into marriage as a means to gain a foothold in Jharkhand. Chouhan further suggested that these individuals were compromising Jharkhand’s safety and warned that allowing the JMM-Congress government to continue would lead to the state’s “destruction.” His portrayal of an “invasion” of local resources and values by Muslims, CJP contends, is a dangerous exaggeration that fuels xenophobic fears and undermines community trust.

The complaint submitted by CJP includes videos of the speeches, which were shared on Hindutva Watch’s Telegram channel and annexed in the submission, to substantiate their claims of communal and inflammatory content.

Various violations highlighted by the complaint

  • Model Code of Conduct 

The MCC, enforced by the Election Commission of India, aims to maintain fair and peaceful elections by prohibiting divisive and inflammatory rhetoric. It explicitly bans appeals to voters based on caste, religion, or community and calls for restraint from inciting tension between groups. The complaint emphasised that by framing Muslims as a monolithic threat and casting them as “infiltrators,” Jaiswal and Chouhan’s speeches undermine the MCC’s commitment to communal harmony, focusing instead on identity-based fear-mongering rather than development issues.

  •  Representation of People Act, 1951 

The complaint also highlights specific violations under the Representation of People Act, 1951, Section 123, which prohibits corrupt electoral practices, including the use of religious or communal appeals to influence voters. Sections 123(3) and 123(3A) of the RPA bar candidates from promoting enmity or hatred between communities on the grounds of religion or caste. By using rhetoric that positions Muslims as “outsiders” and “threats” to the indigenous population, these speeches not only appeal to communal sentiment but also cultivate distrust and hostility, which the RPA categorically prohibits.

The call for immediate action 

CJP’s complaint details the harm of such divisive speech, explaining how this rhetoric disrupts Jharkhand’s historically diverse and pluralistic social landscape. The complainant argues that framing Muslims as a monolithic threat erodes communal harmony, creates fear and mistrust, and fosters stereotypes that can lead to acts of discrimination and violence. By shifting focus away from issues of public welfare and development, this approach leaves marginalised communities with fewer avenues for genuine solutions to pressing needs, such as employment and healthcare.

The complaint concludes with a plea for the Election Commission to take immediate action, emphasising the need to preserve Jharkhand’s social harmony and ensure that elections remain focused on development and democratic values rather than divisive agendas.

The complete complaint may be read here.

 

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