Since the announcement of the seven-phase schedule for the Lok Sabha polls on March 16, the Model Code of Conduct has come into effect. This further rigorously puts in place avowedly strict guidelines for campaigners, parties and their candidates. As a part of the effort  to track and counter hate, Citizens for Justice and Peace has been rigorously tracking provocative and inflammatory speeches being delivered across India, especially –but not only–during election time.   

Compiled below is our HateWatch Monitor’s listicle of the instigating speeches delivered in the past fortnight, between April 8 and April 23. The hate offenders (speakers) are leaders from the far-right, including Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, who have either singled out and stigmatised the Muslim community and culture in their speeches, or used religious symbols including places of worship to garner voter support. All these individually and together violate the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951 and are defined as “corrupt practices” under this law. None have been rigorously called out or prosecuted as a compliant Election Commission of India (ECI) turns a blind eye. A common theme in these speeches were exhortations to violence against Muslims and for the destruction of Mosques, with the objective of converting India into a Hindu nation. 

1. Location: Sirohi, Rajasthan

Date: April 23

BJP leader Mahant Balaknath Yogi delivers communal speech using Muslims to attack the incumbent CM of Rajasthan, namely Ashok Gehlot. He brought in the topic of cow smuggling while defending cow vigilantism.

Speech: 

“Last time, appeasement politics took place in Rajasthan. You must remember the Jaipur incident and the way in which these people slit the throat of a Ram follower and killed him brutally. On the other hand, these people gave a compensation 50 lakhs to someone who was killed in a road accident. Who gave them [Congress party] the right to give money earned by the people of Rajasthan to others in this way?”

“So many sisters and daughters had their honours snatched. So many innocents were killed brutally. No money was given to us. While these people go on giving 50 lakhs to road accident victims of a particular community.”

“In another alleged incidents, a cow smuggler was killed in Alwar. Even when the incident took place in another state, our CM [incumbent CM Ashok Gehlot] had gone to their house to give them money. The deceased had multiple cases of cow slaughter and sow smuggling against him. They went and gave 25 lakhs to them. do you want to support such a man?”

The post can be viewed here:

2. Location: Budhwar Peth, Nashik, Maharashtra 

Date: April 22

Far-right social media influencer Harsha Thakur delivered a provocative speech against Muslims, peddling conspiracy theories and advocating call to arms. As per Hindutva Watch, the event at which the said speech was delivered had been organized by Sakal Hindu Samaj. 

“Learn how to take up arms. Anyone can wear a Burqa. If you leave your religion, not your caste but your religion, then you will be cut into 35 pieces. You will then only be found in suitcase or fridge. Read your religious texts and take up arms. Become hardcore and loyal towards you own religion.”

The post can be viewed here:

3. Location: Faridabad, Haryana

Date: April 14

Gau Raksha Dal leader Bittu Bajrangi delivered an inflammatory speech targeting Muslims of Mewat. Accusing them of being involved in crimes and cyber frauds, the speaker who is himself out on bail, peddled many anti-Muslim conspiracy theories.

The speech:

“They say that they are Mewatis (Muslim residents of Mewat). And we know that that they are Mewati as all of the terrorists, thieves and thugs are from there only. All the cyber frauds that are happening are from there only. They cannot keep themselves clean how ill they clean the surroundings.”

“This Maulana from Delhi, belonging to Jamiat-ul-Hind, has openly offered 100 acre plots of lands to those who conspire against Hindus, more to the ones that do more damage and kill more people.”

“In Mewat, 1500 cows are getting slaughtered every day, who is responsible for that?their Muslim minister call those who protect cows as goons. Those shameless Hindus who live there also hear that Muslim minister say it. Had it been someone like me, I would hold the neck of that man and throw him out.”

The post can be viewed here:

4. Location: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Date: April 12

Communal speech targeting Muslims delivered was delivered by an unknown speaker at Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP) event where anti-Muslim sentiments were spread. 

The speech:

“We need to be aware. Ask those who live in a Muslim dominated society how important awareness is. Ask those who live in Kashmir or Hyderabad. Pick up a newspaper and you will read the crimes that these Maulanas are doing. We need to be aware about our history.”

The post can be viewed here:

5. Location: Moshi, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Maharashtra

Date: April 10

Hindu Rashtra Sena Chief Dhananjay Desai, a frequent hate offender, indulges in fear mongering against Muslims.

The speech:

“Chanting of this Swami name is still going on; it was also done earlier in Sindh Punjab and Bengal. But now Bengal has become Bangladesh. Sindh Punjab has become Pakistan. And Kashmir which is our god land has become Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.”

“Here also some scheming is going on to create some horrible situation. Kashmir Files is a true incident that haunts Kashmir. The producer said that anyone who thinks this is extreme depiction of the situation should go and file lawsuits. I have made the entire film like a documentary.”

“All the mothers and sisters have come here; the devotees of Swami have come. Swami who recites are devotees. Because unless the mother is a devotee, without a good womb, without good blood, a Swami devotee cannot be born. Aren’t you a devotee of Swami, this is not just your devotion, your parents also deserve it.”

The post can be viewed here:

6. Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Date: April 9

Sudarshan News Editor-in-Chief Suresh Chavhanke delivered an anti-Muslim hate speech. he used slurs, raised calls for violence and taking up of arms, and even demanded changing the name of Ahmedabad city of Gujarat. While promoting anti-Muslim conspiracy theories, he called for law for population growth of Muslims.

The speech:

“If you want to ensure that your children do not have to indulge in a blood bath in the future, we need to let play with sticks and rods today.”

“If these K***h M***e (anti-Muslim slur) have the audacity to say that they will demolish a temple eve as we have Modi as our PM, Yogi as our CM and Amit Shah as our HM, just think of what they will do in the dark times ahead.”

“Those who will limit themselves to only keeping a pen in their hands will regret it. In the future, they will have to bow down to these Muslims. It is essential that we pick arms. We need to keep arms in one hand and a pen in the other.”

“Keep in mind that even one rupee donated to a green chaddar will result in a white chaddar for you.”

“Why do we keep referring to this heritage city as Ahmedabad? Do we want to be introduced by “Ahmad?” we should start calling it as Karnavati.”

The Hindu population rate is 1.3, while the Muslim population rate is 2.9. the Hindu population is decreasing. In a few years, Hindustan will not remain Hindustan. our ancestors dedicated their lives to save this nation, but will it remain free in the coming few years? To save our nation, we need to introduce a policy on population control.”

“We need to stop this whole programme of 4 wives and 52 kids.” 

The post can be viewed here:

7. Location: Barmer, Rajasthan

Date: April 8

Religious preacher Dhirendra Krishna Shastri promoted anti-Muslim conspiracy theory of “love jihad” and forced religious conversion. He also raised calls for destruction of mosques in Kashi and Mathura.

The speech:

“I hope my Hindu brother to ensure that no Hindu converts. I would also suggest my Hindu sisters to keep their eyes and ears open, these people come wear Kalava as well. Do not trust them at all, do not get trapped into “Love-Jihad”.

“Till now, only Ram has been welcomed back. Ayodhya and Kashi are just trailers, Mathura is still yet to happen.”

“Earlier we use to say ‘Lord Ram we will come and make the temple’, and now we say to Lord Krishna that we will feed him cream there only”.

“I want to make it clear that if there is an attack on our religion, I will give a fitting response to the same. I am a Hindu and I will only talk about Hinduism.”

The post can be viewed here:

Related:

3 migrant workers burned alive in Meghalaya, CM Conrad Sangma condemns the incident

Hindutva slogans soar in Leicester, has communal hatred been exported overseas?

ECI issues notice to BJP party, and not the star campaigner himself, over alleged hate speech delivered by PM Modi, seeks response by 11 am, April 29

The post Elections 2024: The lead up to the first two phases of voting have seen far right leaders deliver anti-Muslim hate speech across India appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Having savoured this drama, however, some reflection on the mandate and the task ahead may be in order. India voted, and voted decisively against the cynical, ‘feel good’ campaign of an NDA that sought to ignore the common man. It was deprivation, hunger, starvation even, farmer suicides and unemployment that made a decisive difference in this year’s election results. But the populace that identified the NDA as architect of a Marie Antoinette-like cold distance from it’s own people nationally and simultaneously dealt a blow to BJP faithful, Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra Pradesh, were equally unsparing of Congress’ version of Naidu in neighbouring Karnataka – SM Krishna. In this state, the BJP has not only broken new ground but also cornered 29 per cent of the vote share in the assembly polls and 18 of the 26 parliamentary seats with 36.7 per cent of the vote share in the parliamentary elections.

So, though the BJP is definitely and deservedly down, it is by no means out. The clear message from the mandate is that the majority of Indians have given the marching orders to parties and politicians for whom people didn’t seem to matter. The NDA’s misery was compounded by the firm rejection of its politics by the socially ostracised and oppressed, be it the religious minorities or the Dalits. The BJP’s rhetoric in ‘wooing Muslims’— remember the Najmas, the Arifs and the oh-so-many ‘Atal Himaayat Committees’ — fell flat. The drama that hogged headlines obviously did not impact on the numbers game. Analysis of poll results 2004 show that a huge 47 per cent of Muslims voted for the Congress while only 11 per cent (two per cent down from 1999) cast their lot with their baiters, the BJP! Among Dalits, at a national level, the Congress still commands 35 per cent of the vote; the Bahujan Samaj Party is a major competitor with 30 per cent of the Dalit vote share while the NDA got only 23 per cent.

While we breathe more freely now, analysis of the poll results should awaken us to the reality that the BJP and its allies remain serious players and contenders for power in Indian politics. The Congress plus its allies won 35.82 per cent of the votes, 26.59 per cent of this being the Congress’ own tally. This is 1.6 per cent down from 1999, but since the Congress contested only 417 seats its vote share in these seats is up by two per cent. The NDA polled 35.91 per cent of the vote with the BJP’s share in this being 22.16 per cent. Of the 361 seats that the BJP contested, its vote share is down by five per cent.

However, the NDA still commands 55 per cent of the caste Hindu vote and 40-50 per cent of the OBC vote. Besides, the traditional adivasi voter base of the Congress stands reduced to 9 per cent with the BJP making serious inroads here and gaining 5 per cent of the tribal vote. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh continue to ride a BJP wave with 21 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan going to the BJP (49.0 per cent of the vote share) and 25 seats in Madhya Pradesh being retained by the BJP with 47.1 per cent of the vote share.

The task ahead for all Indians concerned with issues of social justice and deepening of democracy lies in keeping the spotlights focussed on the dark spots of our polity. India can remain one and whole, body and soul, only if it remains a secular democracy. But fresh life and meaning need to be given to these terms. Issues of gender disparity and deprivation cut across class, community and caste. So, while the Dalit and/or the Muslim woman remains thrice oppressed bearing the burden of both her community, gender and class label, feticide is rampant among upper caste Hindus.

While Dalits continue to suffer rank indignities as urban yuppies cringe in horror at the very mention of the word ‘caste’, Muslim plight is worse than ever before in socio-economic terms. Not enough schools for secular education, mushrooming madrassas, less jobs, gross under-representation in the police force are part of the problem. With violence against religious minorities increasingly assuming the form of full-blown pogroms, with Gujarat 2002 being a case of state sponsored genocide there is an urgent need for a special legislation on mass crimes. (See Crimes Against Humanity, CC November 2002). For the Muslim woman, its worse. The abhorrent practice of triple talaq continues unchecked because of the stranglehold of an insensitive male-oriented community leadership. We hope that some of these real issues that impinge on, give life and meaning to the word secularism and democracy figure in mainstream political discourse over the next five years.

Gujarat, however, was for us the real story, and victory of polls 2004. Voters from 12 parliamentary seats out of 26 rejected the BJP under chief minister, Narendra Modi, a politician who shows no remorse for the brutalisation of Gujarat and the carnage of 2002. The tribal belts of Gujarat that, unfortunately, had succumbed to sectarian violence in 2002 – Sabarkantha, Mehsana, Panchmahals, south Gujarat –rejected the BJP and voted for Congress candidates. Acute farmer discontent translated into the Patels’ (who account for 29 per cent of the vote share) disenchantment with the ruling party. All things combined the writ of Modi and the BJP in Gujarat stands seriously challenged today. In several seats, the BJP’s margin of victory has also reduced. For example, the vote share of Kashiram Rana, who was elected from Surat for the sixth consecutive time, has fallen. In Baroda and Dahod, the BJP won by small margins. Top BJP leaders like LK Advani and Haren Pathak managed to increase their vote share in their traditional stronghold Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad but this was due to multiple opponents.

This verdict then is a vindication of the people of Gujarat who, with nearly half the electorate rejecting the BJP’s cynical politics even in the December 2002 Assembly polls. In 2002, 49 per cent of Gujaratis expressed displeasure with the ruling party and 51 per cent cast their lot behind the BJP. This time, 47.2 per cent of the votes polled in Gujarat went to the BJP and 45.1 per cent to the Congress.

This turnaround is only one of the reasons behind our cover story of the month. Gujarat, ravaged as it has been by suspicion and violence, has always thrown up accounts of individual and collective acts of bravery and conviction. These we have documented in past years. The cover story this time documents more such examples that give hope for a new dawn in the state. The people of Gujarat in their small and myriad ways are striving to break out of the clutches of an administration and government that does not believe in the credo of peaceful co-existence and non-discrimination.

We thank the Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation for permission to publish some of the stories that are part of a special volume to be released by them soon.

— Editors

Archived from Communalism Combat, June 2004 Year 10   No. 98, Editorial

The post Polls 2004: A welcome breather appeared first on SabrangIndia.