Gautam, who also holds a position as a teacher in a government school, boasted about his alleged involvement in the removal of a mosque in Bilaspur and called for a boycott of Muslims, accompanied by veiled threats of violence.

‘I would like to tell you all that we should not give in to these ‘jihadi’ ideology bearers from outside and let them stay here just for the sake of some small rent payments. We are ready to give them our house or shops, while they work to target our young daughters.’

During his speech, Gautam claimed responsibility for the removal of a mosque in Bilaspur and proposed economic boycott of Muslims has further increased the sense of insecurity for Muslims in the state.

“For every one Hindu girl, 8-12 lakhs rupees are given to mosques and madrasas.”

Seemingly revealing an intention to incite violence, he also included in his speech – “‘If these jihadis come from outside to our land without panjikaran (registration) or pratyapan, it will be us, not some DC or SP, who will decide who gets to enter my (our) lane, our area, our district.”

Location: Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh

Hindu Janjagran Manch leader Kamal Gautam delivers hate speech against Muslims. Claims he got a mosque removed in Bilaspur a few days back, pitched for an economic boycott of Muslims & threatened violence.

Gautam is also a teacher in a govt… pic.twitter.com/mVdOEsxS63

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) July 9, 2023

The most alarming aspect of this entire episode is Gautam’s dual role as a teacher in a government school. The revelation of his affiliation with an extremist organisation and his public espousal of hatred raises serious concerns about his influence over impressionable young minds.

“…and they are working to target our young girls of ages 10, 12 by using ‘love jihad’.” Gautam also brought forth the bogey of ‘Love-Jihad’. Love jihad is a propaganda device used to argue that Hindu women are being targeted by Muslim men and are consequently forced or coerced into converting to Islam under the guise of love.

Gautam has been flagged several times for giving incendiary hate speeches. In 2022, his Facebook profile was removed after AltNews wrote to the social networking site.

According to a Dainik Jagran, he was suspended from his post after he was involved in protests regarding the murder of Manohar. The incident was one in which following the death of a boy named Manohar there was violence  and arson after a call was given by some Hindu groups as the murder took on a communal turn.

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The post Hindu Janjagran Manch Leader Delivers Hate Speech, Advocates Economic Boycott of Muslims appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Addressing the crowd, Gautam made statements such as, “Bharat mein agar rehna hoga, Jai Sri Raam Kehna Hoga” (If you wish to stay in India, you have to say Jai Shri Raam) and “Islamic Jihad Murdabad” (Death to Islamic Jihad). Not only propagating hate but also seemingly deploying threats towards religious minorities.

Location: Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh

Hindu Janjagran Manch leader Kamal Gautam delivers hate speech against Muslims. He used derogatory language against minorities and threatened violence. pic.twitter.com/o404AHGk90

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) July 7, 2023

Furthermore, Gautam specifically dived into the alleged bogey of “Love Jihad,” claiming that Himachal’s young girls were becoming targets of such activities. He accused those providing shelter to what he derogatorily referred to as “Kathmulle” (slur) and ‘Jamaats’ of engaging in actions that would not be tolerated by the Hindu community. He ominously stated that these actions would be responded to in the only way “they” understand, implying a potential recourse to violence.

There seems to be no evidence of actions by authorities against Gautam thus far. It remains to be seen whether legal action will be taken against Kamal Gautam for his hate speech, as hate speech laws in India prohibit statements that promote enmity between different religious or ethnic groups.

Earlier Sabrang India has noted that India has been classified as an ‘electoral autocracy’, revealing the declining level democratic freedoms and social justice in India.

“No one must give shelter to these Jamaats from outside, and I will tell this to all of you clearly standing here today: you all standing here will decide who can enter or not enter your areas of residences and the roads and lanes in it, and not any SP or DP. I don’t need to tell you people what to do should a pig enter your fields and eat the produce or enter your homes. And let me tell you, should Islamic jihad Target any Hindu or harm any girl of ours, then the entire responsibility will be of the administration, and the Hindu society will endeavour to crumple and destroy Islamic jihad in its entirety.”

This is not the first incidence of communal behaviour by Kamal Gautam. In a troubling incident last year reported by SabrangIndia, a video circulated on social media platforms, particularly in Hindutva circles, depicting a mob vandalising a Muslim shrine or Dargah. The individuals involved in the act claimed to be affiliated with the Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM) Himachal, as stated by Kamal Gautam, who posted the video on his Facebook page.

Source: Meer Faisal

The video showcases individuals wielding massive hammers to break the grave and shrine within the Muslim place of worship. Alongside the video, Kamal Gautam wrote, “देवभूमि में लैंड़ जे हाद बर्दाश्त नहीं किया जायेगा… हर अवैध ढांचा जो भूमि कब्जाने की मंशा से पीर मजार के नाम पर बनाया गया है उसका अंजाम यही होगा। Hindu Jagran Manch Himachal का इस्लामिक जेहाद के विरुद्ध अभियान जारी रहेगा।”

Once again goons of Hindu Jagran Manch Himachal made a video of vandalising a shrine (Dargah) in Himachal. This video with song is being shared by Kamal Gautam (Member of HJMH) on his fb page
while posting, he wrote,

“Will free every corner of the Devbhoomi, ++ pic.twitter.com/BrSpesgsx6

— Meer Faisal (@meerfaisal01) January 18, 2022

“Land Jihad will not be allowed on the land of the gods. All illegal structures that have been raised as holy graves will meet the same fate. Hindu Jagran Manch will continue this project.”

Kamal Gautam is the general secretary of the Hindu Jagran Manch in Himachal Pradesh. He has known to make incendiary speeches and claims in the past. His social media is rife with support for the PM Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party, as well as with posts that have a pronounced anti-Muslim tilt.

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The post Unchecked Hate Speech Sparks Concerns for communal Harmony in Himachal Pradesh appeared first on SabrangIndia.