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Communalism Hate Speech

Hate speeches at events across north India, calls for violence against minorities

From the CM of Assam, to unnamed Hindutva leaders, antagonistic speeches against religious minorities seems to be the fillip for these events

Far-right Hindutva leaders in various states in India have been making inflammatory speeches that seem to be inviting communal tensions as they reportedly continue to spread hatred against minority communities. From one event in Faridabad, Haryana, to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Udaipur, and Khushbu Pandey in Bihar, these leaders seem to be using their platforms as tools to create fear between communities.

Faridabad, Haryana

On November 18 in Faridabad, Haryana, far-right leader, and an accused in the Nuh violence, Bittu Bajrangi seems to have engaged in a speech that fuelled fear and animosity against the Muslim community. In his speech, he asserted, “In Mewat, a child was born… There  the mothers and sisters were going to some puja when someone pelted stones on women. So, today, we have to be vigilant especially when our female relatives can’t even do Puja. Then we must be united, give Dharma education and Sanskar to our children. But if my children come under the influence of other people, then nothing is of use!” It is important to note that Bajrangi is currently out on bail. He has violated his bail conditions earlier as well, when he gave an incendiary speech. A Nuh Special Sessions court had directed him to not make any public statements while granting him bail.

Udaipur, Rajasthan

On November 18 in Jhadol, Udaipur, Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made a speech targeting Congress in the poll-bound state.

“Priyanka ji, we don’t want to ask you, but you ask why we do politics in the name of the Hindu? Then I must ask you why you do politics in the name of Babur and Aurungzeb? I will keep singing praises of Ram as long as you do politics in the name of Babur and Aurangzeb! You (Congress) cannot do anything until Congress gets rule…When there is BJP rule, Babur and Aurangzeb bury themselves in the sand. Here is the land where Kanhaiya Lal was sar-tan-juda (beheaded). Did this sar-tan-juda ever occur here in India? I googled to find that such practices only happened in Bangladesh and Pakistan, not in India. Ashok Gehlot said that he caught the culprit in four hours? Four hours? If this had happened in Assam or Uttar Pradesh, we would have made the “hisab barabar” in five minutes! Have you heard of sar-tan-juda in any BJP ruled states? No, there will be no sar-tan-juda, only “hisaab barabar”. When I became CM in Assam, I got a proposal to give salaries to Madrasa teachers. I stated, “What is this shop”? I don’t know what this is, does your son study at a Madrasa? What is there in a Madrasa? I was told a madrasa has Mullah. Is it my duty to make them?! Close this shop! It was shut. The official told me there will be an uproar, but I said, look, the country’s PM is PM Modi. Nobody has the guts for this. Who will do an uproar? Today, it has been 2 years since my decision, see, without an uproar. Will Babur and Aurangzeb create any uproar? The Ram Temple is also being made today! Where have the Baburs and Aurangzebs run? As long as the Hindus are awake, no one can do anything. But the minute the Congress comes to power, they will divide Hindus, this is when Babur and Aurzangzeb start dancing. If BJP wins, Babur and Aurangzeb will be underground, but Modiji will become PM with 700 seats. They divide us!”

Jalore, Rajasthan

At a Vishwa Hindu Parishad event in Jalore, Rajasthan, a far-right leader propagated hate against members of the Muslim and Christian communities. The speaker accused Christians of spreading across nations through conversion, greed, violence, coercion, and manipulation. Islam too was said to have started in Arabia with a group of “looters”. “In today’s time … some people… who talk about destroying Sanatan, breaking it, and destroying us. Those are Christians, which are spread across nations through the use of conversion, greed, violence, coercion, manipulation. And the other is Islam, which started in Arab and then through a group of Looters, they set out to loot since there was nothing there. They were ***** (Casteist slur). They spread out to loot. Mohammed Ghazni came to India. Looted a lot, took a lot of gold and jewels. Ghazni thought that if India must be destroyed, then their centres of Sanatan Sanskruti must be destroyed. And hence, Somnath Temple was destroyed and looted.”

Jamui, Bihar

Hindutva leader Khushbu Pandey, who is the founder of Veer Jagdamba Sena delivered a communal speech with a call to arms in Jamui, Bihar. “When it comes to Gau raksha … Atma Raksha, then Sanatanis … will have to pick up their word and do Mahabharat. We are not Naphunshak that we can see our mothers and daughter’s dignities “looted” everyday … There is one Dharma. What Dharma? Sanatana!” The crowd roared in response.

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 

On November 19 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Bajrang Dal leader Neeraj Denoria propagated conspiracy theories surrounding Halal. Denoria claimed that these products, including those related to dairy and food consumption, generate significant profits, creating a parallel system which allegedly ends up funding to “Islamic Jihadis.” This is an economic system created by Islamic Jihadis…It is through Halal products … that these things have a business of crores. It is through this, there is a parallel system run by Islamic Jihadis. This money is being spread on Love Jihad, Islamic Jihad, Ghazwa e Hind, Madarsa. I appreciate the UP CM for banning halal products. My contention is that this is something that is a matter of concern for the entire country.”

Ramlila Maidan, Delhi

On November 20, at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi, Hindutva supporters organised a large rally, fervently urging the government to grant sacred status to cows. However, this gathering was saturated with anti-Muslim rhetoric, coupled with explicit calls for brutal violence against people who are “involved in cow slaughter.” and also included calls for beheading people. The rally, which also saw Gau Rakshaks being hailed for their “work”, also witnessed Supreme Court advocate, Ashwini Upadhyay making a call to add “Ram Rajya” after “Republic” in the Preamble.

Some of the translated snippets from various speakers at the event can be found below.

“Put our declaration in Delhi’s Darbars, we will burn alive the killers of Gau Mata.”

“The Ram Temple is being built, after that we should have a movement quickly after Gau Mata, for a Krishna Mandir in Mathura too!”

“It is our biggest offence to us if anyone should insult our Gau Mata or exploit it, they should be beheaded.”

“They are taking away your Mother! We have a fundamental right to protect our Mother. The Gau Rakshaks should be given an award for their daily hard work.”

Ashwini Upadhyay, was one of the speakers, who stated, “In Preamble, where it is written, We the people of India, Democratic Socialist, Secular Republic, there should be Ram Rajya written after the Republic.”

Rohtak, Haryana

In a video that was reportedly shot on November 20, Pravin Togadia can be seen making the following incendiary comments “We have seen Israel’s attack on Palestine…If Israel did not have Iron Dome, the dead in Israel would be 5-6 lakhs. The very same attack Israel faced by Palestine, we have faced in India for 1000 years by our ancestors. The fighters who died are number 10 crores. Remember, today is just Israel’s turn. In our villages here, we can see a “Palestine” coming together.”

 

Related:

Unveiling the diverse impact of Hate Speech

Poll bound states of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh see hate speeches by BJP leaders prior to elections

Notorious hate speech offender T Raja Singh has another case filed against him

Trend of divisive politics continues, 3 hate speeches by Assam CM in poll bound states

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