Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) has again taken a bold step to prevent potential communal tensions in Maharashtra by filing six complaints with the police authorities against right-wing organization’s scheduled events in Shirala, Nagpur, Patan (Satara), Dhule, Nagar City (Ahmednagar), and Palus (Sangli).
These events, organised by groups like Sakal Hindu Samaj and other associated groups, have raised concerns due to their history of promoting hate speech and violence through provocative and inflammatory speeches against the minorities, especially, Muslims. The complaints highlight the notorious track record of speakers like habitual hate offender and BJP MLA Nitesh Rane, T. Raja Singh, and Harsha Tai Thakur etc. who have consistently made inflammatory remarks through such events, disturbing public order, peace and communal harmony. CJP’s efforts aim to ensure that these events do not incite communal disharmony or violence, particularly in the lead-up to the Assembly elections in Maharashtra.
Details of the complaints in Maharashtra:
Shirala, Sangli, September 16, 2024
On September 16, 2024, CJP demanded preventive action against the Hindu right-wing extremist organisation Sakal Hindu Samaj’s event of Hindu Janakrosh Morcha in Shirala, Sangli on September 19, 2024. CJP pleads before the authorities that Habitual Hate Offender and BJP MLA Nitesh Rane, Anil Devlekar and Hanmant Galande were inivited as keynote speakers for this event.
CJP highlighted that one of the key note speakers, namely Nitesh Rane, has a long list of criminal charges and complaints filed against him for delivering hate speeches and disturbing the public order of India. As background evidence, CJP has provided details of the speeches that had been made by BJP MLA Nitesh Rane in 2023-2024, especially across the state of Maharashtra. CJP has also added in its complaint, that two fresh FIRs have been registered against the habitual hate offender Nitesh Rane for allegedly delivering inflammatory speeches against a community at two separate Sakal Hindu Samaj’s events in Ahmednagar on September 1 and September 2, 2024, respectively.
During this speech, Nitesh Rane warned that there would be “repercussions” if the controversial Ramgiri Maharaj was “harmed”! This “Maharaj” has also been booked for delivering hate speech and making derogatory statement against Islam and Prophet Muhammad.
On August 16, 2024, in Nashik, Hindu religious leader Ramgiri Maharaj made derogatory remarks against the Islam and Prophet Mohammad which later resulted in communal tensions and protests in Nashik. Following Maharaj’s speech, multiple FIRs have been registered against Maharaj at various places in Maharashtra for hurting religious sentiments.
Two cases have been registered against Nitesh Rane at Topkhana and Shrirampur police stations in Ahmednagar district over this hate speech. Thereafter, the Bhiwandi police in Thane district on September 4, also booked Rane over the same matter.
As per the complaint, CJP pointed out the recent incidents where the provocative speech delivered by Nitesh Rane in at the event of August 13, 2024, in Palus Sangli. This was a stark reminder of the utter failure of concerned authorities to take preventive and appropriate action. Despite receiving a complaint from Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), the Superintendent of Police and Collector, Sangli, failed to take necessary measures to prevent the event from taking place.
CJP has also provided background on the Sakal Hindu Samaj in its complaint and stated that it is an umbrella organisation of several Hindutva organizations including Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS), Shiv Pratishtha and Sanatan Sanstha. They regularly organise such events that provide a platform to those who promote a hard-core divisive and violent ideology in the name of protection of the Hindu religion.
The complaint can be read here
Nagpur, September 4, 2024
On September 4, 2024, in complaint filed before the Nagpur Police against the right-wing outfit’s event of “Ghushpaithiya Mukt Maharashtra Sankalp Sabha” organised by the “Ghushpeth Mukt Bharat Abhiyan” held at Geeta Mandir, Bhagwat Bhawan Cotton Market Road, Central Nagpur on September 5, 2024,
Habitual hate offender and member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and editor-in-chief of Sudarshan News, Suresh Chavhanke attended the event. CJP highlighted in its complaint that “Chavhanke has strong communal and hate provocative antecedents as he is indulged with various right-wing activities like targeting minorities, and broadcasting provocative debate shows in their news channel.” CJP further added that that few days back, the state of Maharashtra had witnessed violence and tensions due to hateful speeches and provocative statements in Nashik, Jalgaon protest march over attacks on Bangladeshi Hindus and the same burning topic.
CJP added in its complaint that “it is near certain that provocative speeches will be delivered and calls for violence will be made, given the recent track record of the organization and speakers invited and the ‘principles’ that they stand for. In the citizen’s petition we have cited recent orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, the Bombay High Court as well as Orders issued by the Director General of Police Maharashtra on steps that need to be taken, especially pre-emotive ones.”
The complaint can be read here:
Patan, Satara, September 4, 2024
On September 4, 2034, CJP sought preventive action against the ‘Hindu Janakrosh Morcha’ event organized by the Hindu right-wing extremist outfits Sakal Hindu Samaj and Swabhimani Nabhik Sanghatana, Patan, Satara on September 5, 2024.
CJP urged in its complaint before Superintendence of Police and District Magistrate, Satara that the scheduled event of Sakal Hindu Samaj in Patan, Satara on the issue of “Bhosgaon in Patan Taluka, a minor sister of a Hindu core community was physically tortured and sexually abused by a Shariat Killer and threatened to destroy the family”, that here is no coincidence that such activities and organisations have started fuelling and exploiting communal tensions just before the upcoming Assembly Election in the state of Maharashtra. These activities and events must be closely monitored, and restricted, if necessary, to prevent hate speeches, communal violence, and undue influence of the elections.
CJP has pleaded before the authority that right-wing extremist Anil Maharaj Devlekar and Shankarrao Gaikwad who were invited as keynote speakers for the event and stressed that just days before, the state of Maharashtra had witnessed violence and tensions due to their hateful speeches and provocative statements in Nashik, Jalgaon protest march over attacks on Bangladeshi Hindus and on the same demands organised by Sakal Hindu Samaj. In this complaint CJP further added that since the accused is from the Muslim community and investigation is sub-judice, Hindutva right-wing outfits were/are trying to communalise the incident and attempting to create hatred amongst the citizens on grounds of religion.
The Complaint can be read here
Dhule, September 2, 2024
Days before the event, in which serial hate offender and BJP MLA T. Raja Singh was invited as keynote speaker, on September 2, 2024, CJP filed a complaint before Dhule Police against the proposed and published event of “Hindu Garjana Sabha” organised by Sri Ram Navami Utsav Samiti, Dhule at Narayan Bua Samadhi Temple, Riverside in Dhule on September 3, 2024.
CJP urged authorities to deny the permission for the scheduled event of Hindu Garjana Sabha stating clearly that it was no coincidence that such concerted events by these organisations have started fuelling and exploiting communal tensions just before the upcoming Assembly Election in the state of Maharashtra. There can be no doubt that if, with Assembly elections around the corner the Dhule police allowed T Raja Singh to address the public, the event will polarise the atmosphere and create a divisive social climate to ensure that the vulnerable sections are prone to aggression and violence. CJP has drawn these detailed linkages, the cause and effect in its complaint.
The Complaint can be read here
Nagar City, Ahmednagar, August 30, 2024
On August 30, CJP sought preventive action against the “Samarthan rally for Ramgiri Maharaj” and “Nishesh Sabha against the Hindu atrocities in Bangladesh” organised by right-wing organisation Sakal Hindu Samaj at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial, Maliwada (Nagar City), Ahmednagar on September 1, 2024.
CJP outlined in this complaint that allowing such an event by the outfit “Sakal Hindu Samaj” in support of Hindu religious preacher Ramgiri Maharaj, to take place, would fuel communal tensions. As referred to earlier, Ramgiri Maharaj has been accused of delivering objectionable and derogatory remark against the Prophet Mohammad and multiple FIRs have been registered against him (Ramgiri Maharaj) under sections 196(1)(A), 197(1)(D), 299, 302, 352, 353(1)(b), 353(1)(C) and 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for his remarks across the state of Maharashtra. The proposed event of Sakal Hindu Samaj, scheduled on September 2, has been being called in support of the accused, Ramgiri Maharaj as he was/is also a prominent face of right-wing outfits. Ramgiri’s statement had earlier led to violence and tensions in Nashik and also in other places of Maharashtra.
“Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj is chief of the ‘Sadguru Gangagiri Maharaj Sansthan’ based in Sarala Island (Godavari River) in Shrirampur tehsil of Ahmednagar district. The sansthan has a 177-yearold tradition of organising ‘Akhand Harinam Saptah’. Lakhs of devotees from nearby districts attend the sermons during this week. Ramgiri Maharaj also gives sermons periodically at various places and has big followers in Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Ahmednagar districts” CJP highlighted in its complaint.
CJP also added in this complaint that certain objectionable pictures targeting a particular community published by the organiser Sakal Hindu Samaj, Ahmednagar has also led to communal disharmony and it is near certain that provocative speeches will be delivered at such a proposed event. The complaint also said that it was likely that calls for violence will be made, given the recent track record of the organisation and speakers invited and the ‘principles’ that they stand for.
The Compliant can be read here
Palus, Sangli, August 13, 2024
On August 13, 2024, CJP approached the Superintendent of Police and District Magistrate, Sangli, seeking immediate preventive action against the “Jan Aakrosh Morcha” rally organised by Shakti-Bhimshakti and Sakal Hindu Dalit Samaj in Palus, Sangli. Habitual hate offender BJP MLA Nitesh Rane, Member of Parliament Amar Sable and Harshatai Thakur were invited as keynote speakers for this event.
CJP made a strong case in its complaint that one of the key note speakers, namely Nitesh Rane, has a long list of criminal charges and complaints filed against him for delivering hate speeches and disturbing the public order of India. CJP has been regularly tracking these speeches that had been made by BJP MLA Nitesh Rane during the period of 2023-2024, across Maharashtra. It is also essential to highlight here that in the month of January in 2024 itself, Nitesh Rane had been booked by the Mumbai police under IPC Section 153A (Indian Penal Code) for delivering the anti-Muslim inflammatory speech during a rally in Solapur. Previously, during his Jan Aakrosh rally in Govandi and Mankhurd on February 10 this year, he castigated officials of local authorities like the BMC and MHADA officials for having facilitated “land jihad” by allowing “Rohingyas” to settle in Govandi and Mankhurd “illegally”. In a blatantly provocative statement, he also threatened to demolish all mosques in the area if MHADA didn’t demolish them! He also exhorted women to “shun lipstick, take up the sword and become Durga and Kali, and not burqewali.
The complaint can be read here:
CJP also mentioned before the authorities that recently the Mahim Police had denied permission for Hindu Janjagruti Samiti Morcha in Mumbai, which was scheduled for August 10. On August 9, a citizens’ delegation led by CJP had gone to meet Senior Police Inspector, Mahim Police Station, Sudhakar Shirsath, to seek immediate preventive action against Hindu Janjagruti Samiti’s August 10 rally, CJP informed that permission for the rally had been denied in the interests of preserving communal harmony while highlighting the recent direction of Supreme Court and Bombay High Court.
In the forgoing complaints, CJP pleads that “we have been following the events planned for by right wing organisations across the country and have been sending memorandums to concerned authorities to take pre-emptive action with the strong apprehension that hate speeches will be delivered at such events. Our apprehensions have been proved right in the past as well when events organised by Hindu Rashtra Jagruti Sabha had included instigating speeches and anti-Muslim rhetoric, which could have been prevented basis our complaints sent to the police authorities in the district and local police as well.
Related:
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CJP seeks preventive action against SHS & HJS events in Maharashtra
CJP seeks preventive action against SHS and HJS’s events and rallies