The five men are: Sujit Rangaswami, Amit Baddi, Ganesh Miskin, Shrikant Pangarkar and Bharat Kurane. The High Court granted them bail on July 30, and the order was made public on August 5.

A division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande observed that the alleged conspiracy to bomb the festival was never executed. The bench further added that “We have noted that all the accused persons are arrested in the year 2018 and as on date, though the trial has commenced, only two witnesses have been examined and third witness is in the witness box, when the prosecution has cited the list of 417 witnesses,”.

The prime allegation, even as per the chargesheet was that the accused persons being active members of the Sanatan Sanstha and Hindu Janjagruti Samiti, hatched a conspiracy to execute petrol and crude bomb blasts in the then ongoing Sunburn festival in Pune city.

It was further alleged that they were influenced by the philosophy of creation of ‘Hindu Rashtra’ and keeping this objective in mind, had conspired to eliminate all activities opposing the Hindu religion and all entities, which were preaching or writing or propounding against their religion. It was claimed that they were active in disruption in the exhibition of movies, and conduct of programmes, which according to them, in any manner brought any disrepute to the pride of the Hindu religion.

The chargesheet further discloses that the persons opposing the deep-rooted practices adopted in Hindu culture through their writings like Dr Narendra Dabholkar from ‘Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti’, Comrade Govind Pansare as well as Prof MM Kalburgi and senior journalist Gauri Lankesh, who were done to death by the ‘motorcycle riders.’

The judges, however, opined that such statements in the chargesheet, were insufficient to establish the charge of conspiracy against the Appellants.

The judges further emphasised the fact that the ‘speedy trial’ has received a recognition of the fundamental right of a person facing accusations and being subjected to trial.

The accused persons were charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Explosive Substances Act, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act, and the Maharashtra Police Act.

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad has alleged in its chargesheet that the accused persons were influenced by a book titled Kshatra Dharma Sadhana, which is published by the Sanatan Sanstha and calls on Hindus to establish a Hindu Rashtra or Hindu nation.

The notorious and aggressive Hindu Janjagruti Samiti (HJS) and its ally Sanatan Sanstha who’s activists (and masterminds) have alleged to be linked to the accused of rationalist murders of Narendra Dabholkar (2013), Govind Pansare (2015), MM Kalburgi (2015) and Gauri Lankesh (2017) presently hosts an international meet to hail and promote the idea of Hindu Rashtra (India as a Hindutva Theocracy).

The Order of the Court can be read here:

Related:

Memo seeking preventive action against Hindu Janajagruti Samiti event sent to authorities

Hindu Janagaruti Samiti (HJS) & Karnataka links

The post Bombay HC grants bail to Sanatan Sanstha and Hindu Janjagruti Samiti Members appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Blaming the evil west, opening sessions of the seven day ‘international convention to bring in Hindu Rashtra”, Pingale a ‘Guru” for this extremist outfit also said, “Now, the western world wants this perversion to be accepted in India. Where there is no dharma or ethics, asuras (demons) will emerge,” he told hundreds of representatives from 310 Hindu organisations from 22 states and abroad. Pingale added that it was live-in relationships also were harming dharma. “If such relationships get legal acceptance, many families’ and daughters’ lives will be destroyed. We are moving towards destruction. If we engage in adharma, we will have to bear the consequences,” he said.

Bemoaning the destruction caused by Cyclone Biparjoy, Pingale said over the past 11 years they had been predicting at the annual Hindu convention that “adharma will see a rise in bio-wars and natural disasters like cyclones”. Pingale also said the Khalistan movement is yet another challenge to Hindu unity. He said that the average Sikh does not support Khalistan but is being provoked by Pakistan’s ISI and by groups of Christian missionaries.

“Some are asking what is wrong with the demand for Khalistan when you are seeking Hindu Rashtra,” Pingale said. “But Khalistan is about dividing the nation and violence. We need to fight this propaganda of comparing Khalistan with the Hindu Rashtra movement.”

Electoral Loss in Karnataka

Pingale also said that BJP lost the recent assembly polls in Karnataka because Hindus were left confused without the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act. “We have to create such a situation that parties’ manifestos promise the establishment of Hindu Rashtra,” Pingale said. “In Parliament too, Hindu Rashtra is being discussed by MPs. The seed has been sown and we want to see a flourishing tree.”

Sanatan Sanstha founder Jayant Athavale said in a message, which was read out, that Hindu Rashtra will definitely be established by 2025. 2023 is 100 years of the formation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)

“The time for establishment of Hindu Rashtra is nearing. Even Sri Ram had to go to war for peace. So, no one should be under the impression that Hindu Rashtra will be established by itself. It is definite that we will have to fight for it. For this, we will have to start preparation from today,” Athavale said. Jayant Athavale and his outfit have been accused of unethically performing hypnosis on unwilling participants, even women.

Both HJS and SS have been and are being investigated by authorities in Karnataka and Maharashtra for the assassinations of four rationalists, Narendra Dabolkar (2013), Govind Pansare (2015), MM Kalburgi (2015) and Gauri Lankesh (2017)

Related:

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Savarkar’s grandson calls for trade boycott of Muslims: HJS, GOA

The post Its live-in and gay ties whip up cyclones like Biparjoy: HJS, Goa appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The delegation highlighted the fact that anti-Muslim sentiments that were perpetrated by the two speakers who had delivered the hate speech at the event. They also spoke about this event and a series of previous ones as concerted coordinated efforts to harm social harmony and create an atmosphere conducive to targeted violence. The delegation highlighted the fact that  such speeches and gatherings were creating a harmful and dangerous environment for a marginalised minority, Muslims as open calls for violence and taking up of arms against the Muslims were also made, where exhortations to “chop the religious minority into small pieces” were made and normalised.

As individuals and citizens committed to working in the social sphere with all communities as well as to maintaining social harmony between the majority and the minority religious communities, the delegation, which itself had members from diverse religious backgrounds, emphasized that the police’s inaction to first prevent it from happening, and then delayed prosecution action, was further detrimental.

Before this delegation met the DYSP, last week, on May 10, Citizens for Justice and Peace had complained to the SP, Jalgaon and the SDPO Jalgaon (Division) to register a complaint against the above-mentioned two hate speeches during the HJS event.  In the said complaint, CJP had highlighted that the communal and hate spewing speech delivered by the two unknown hate speakers, one man and one woman, promoted a hard, right-wing, exclusionist ideology, through which he has targeted and othered the Muslim Community.

Giving an interview after submitting the written complaint along with the full transcript of hate speech delivered on CD, members of delegation stated that the police authorities have assured them that the necessary action will be taken in this case soon. The delegation also re-iterated the FIR that had been taken by the Jalgaon police against the notorious hate speaker Suresh Chavhanke, editor-in-chief of Sudarshan TV, for delivering a hate speech in December 25, and said that they expect an FIR to be filed in the current case too. Khaliddada Deshmukh speaking to the media reiterated that a peaceful and determined movement of citizens from diverse walks of life would be sustained to counter all these attempts to harm social peace and harmony.

In the delegation were Advocate  Karim Salar, Khalildada Deshmukh, Azhar Khan (City President Pragatik Vichar Manch), Sunil Shinden (BAMSEF), Dilip Sapkale (Savarkar Rickshaw Union), Amrita Netkar (Youth Front District President, AAP), Rizwan Jagirdar (Insaniyat Foundation), Sattar Pinjri ( SA worker), Madhavrao Jadhav (Mr. Chief, AAP). There are over a dozen signatories to the complaint, and the list is as follows:

List of Signatories

4)         Ajhar Khan (Shaharadhyaksh Pragatik Vichar Manch)

5)         Sattar Pinjari (Samajik Karyakarta)

6)         Mo. Ajhar Khan (Samajik Karyakarta)

7)         Mo. Shahid (Adhyaksh, Aman Educational Welfare Society)

8)         Fahim Patel (Samajik Karyakarta)

9)         A. Bakid Deshmukh (Samajik Karyakarta)

10)       Farukh Kadri (Kadariya Foundation)

11)       Amruta Netkar (Jilhadhyaksh, Yuva Aaghadi, AAP)

12)       Madharav Jadhav (Mahanagar Pramukh, AAP)

13)       Dr. Shakir Shaikh (Rashtriya Muslim Morcha Upadhyaksh)

14)       Rais Kureshi (Jilha Alpasankhyank Adhyaksh, AAP)

15)       Shaikh Rasool Usman (Jilha, Pravakta, Ra, Kau.)

16)       Rijwan Jahagirdar (Secretary, Insaniyat Foundation)

17)       Shaikh Irfan (Jilha Social Media Pramukh, AAP)

18)       Dilip Sapkale (Riksha Union, Jalgaon)

19)       Aarif Ismail Shah (Samajik Karyakarta)

19)       Kau. Sudhakar Ajayrao Patil

Mr. Khalil Deshmukh, a prominent and enthusiastic part of the delegation, issued a statement saying that “Against the propaganda of Hindutva people, we secular, humanist minded activists will not take the law into our hands and do unconstitutional acts, but we will continue the legal, peaceful fight with humanist minded activists like Teesta Setalvad and Citizens for Justice and Peace.”

The interview given by the delegation after submitting the complaint can be viewed here:

Related:

CJP sends complaint to SP SDPO, Jalgaon against HJS event where conspiracy theories against Muslims was being peddled

Citizens delegation demands action against HJDS, Sakal Hindu Samaj for anti-Muslim hate, meets CP, Thane

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Wild Goose Chase: From filing preemptive complaints to following up with officers, a round-up of CJP’s efforts to curb hate speech

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Maharashtra: The new breeding ground for hate, oaths of allegiance to the Constitution brutally violated

The post Pursuant to complaint by CJP to Jalgaon police, against hate event on Apil 30, a diverse delegation of citizens approach police, demand prompt action appeared first on SabrangIndia.

In the said complaint, CJP had highlighted that the communal and hate spewing speech delivered by the two unknown hate speakers, one man and one woman, promoted a hard, right-wing, exclusionist ideology, through which he has targeted and othered the Muslim Community. At this event, the speakers had indulged in peddling various conspiracy theories to generate hate towards Muslims and called for establishing a ‘Hindu nation’, made misinformed and offensive claims against the minority community and their culture. The said speakers had even made open calls of violence against the Muslim community too.

With an aim of spreading social disharmony and fear-mongering, the woman speaker can be heard misinformed statements, furthering the Hinduvaadi love-jihad agenda, and saying, ““It’s time for women to awaken their patriotism. Every day there are crimes against women (rape etc.) and Hindu women are being slaughtered in love jihad. In this country crimes against women are increasing…Every day at least 84 rapes on women. Today everyone should learn self-defence. Hindus are not safe. Until when will we bear with this? Instead of dying at their hands, it is time to kill these love jihadis. Because it our right under the law.”

The male speaker made the following statement: “In India, crores have the faith that Ram was born in Ayodhya. “Ram mandir jhaki hai Kashi Mathura baki hai” slogans are raised because even where Krishna was born, there are illegal structures.”

Through the complaint, CJP highlighted that the two speakers from HJS were following the patterns of their extremist peers, giving fire to the unsubstantiated, untrue and provoking claims of a “Love-Jihad agenda”.  The complaint emphasised that the speakers have even brought in the issue of Hindu woman being under the threat, substantiating the same with the help of made-up statistics. Relying on the recent judgments of the Supreme Court in the complaint, stringent action was then urged as such expression of targeted and extreme hate with a clear communal objective to establish religious hegemony upon a community that is already a minority in numbers in the country, is deplorable and against the constitutional values that we uphold as citizens of this country. Additionally, such speech and hate content has the direct potential to cause physical and mentally bodily harm to marginalized groups, their women and render their already insecure life further eroded of dignity and equality.

In the complaint to the Jalgaon police, CJP had sought swift and stringent action against the two speakers and the extremist organisation of HJS under certain sections of the IPC in view to the overall unsafe atmosphere for the Muslim community that is being generated through the systemic and the perpetrated use of hate speech and writing within the country.

After sending the complaint via email and registered post, Citizens of Justice and Peace took the initiative to follow up with SP M. Rajkumar on a phone call, to which he said that he will look into the matter.

The entire complaint can be read here:

Download PDF

Related:

Citizens delegation demands action against HJDS, Sakal Hindu Samaj for anti-Muslim hate, meets CP, Thane

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Defiant of the SC, Suresh Chavhanke, Raja Singh & Hindutva outfits escalate hate to dangerous levels

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Stop Hate Speech: Supreme Court directs GOI to take action

The post CJP sends complaint to SP SDPO, Jalgaon against HJS event where conspiracy theories against Muslims was being peddled appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Today marks the first day of the Hindu new year which is celebrated as ‘Gudi Padwa’ in Maharashtra. To celebrate the same, Hindu Janajagruti Sabha (HJS) which is known to have had a chequered history of organising events and inviting speaker to deliver hate speeches, organised ‘Gudi Pujan’ events at various places in Pune, Sangli, Sindhudurg districts in Maharashtra.

Festivals are a time to come together and celebrate. It is supposed to promote a feeling of oneness and in a culturally diverse country like India, it means celebrating within its diversity. However, this sense of togetherness and brotherhood has been lost upon the extreme right wing in the country where every festival is taken as an opportunity to provoke other communities as well as their own to disturb public peace. Such an apprehension is not coming out of thin air but it is a serious one considering the dark incidents that marred Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti celebrations last year. Even garba events during Navratri in October last year were not spared and false propaganda against the Muslim community where they forced Garba Pandals to disallow non-Hindus from playing garba.

Ram Navami which fell on April 10, 2022 was marred with clashes, stone-pelting, trishul diksha, attacks on students and many other instances of violent communal confrontation in Gujarat, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal. One death was reported in Gujarat; at least 10 persons were injured in stone pelting in Jharkhand, 10 houses were burnt during violent clashes in Madhya Pradesh and violence was reported in West Bengal, all in one day when Ram Navami was celebrated.

Keeping this in mind and with the intention to throw caution to the wind, CJP wrote to the respective SPs of Sangli and Pune to intimate them and alert them that such events have been planned by HJS which otherwise only resorts to notoriety to disturb public peace. Their ‘gudi pujan’ events appear harmless, for that matter any celebration of any festival is a peaceful affair and rather a joyous gathering. Yet, an intimation to the local police was a need of the hour to remain vigilant and ensure that HJS does not  stoop down to their usual mode of working and raise slogans against another community.

Accordingly, CJP wrote to Sangli and Pune Police explaining briefly why these events have a tendency of going haywire and how the nature of these gatherings could change given a crowd is gathered and some miscreants are up to mischief. CJP also highlighted the Justice Madon Committee [which was formed in Maharashtra after the communal violence of 1970] report recommended that before granting permission to the organizers to take out a procession likely to provoke trouble the officer concerned should undertake a thorough   reconnaissance of the proposed route even before prescribing a route for it under section 36 of the Bombay Police Act.

CJP made a humble plea to the police, “Sir, in view of the history of such religious processions leading to disruption of law and order, just in the past one year, we urge that you take necessary preventive and cautionary measures to ensure no untoward incident takes place. Also, steps need to be taken keeping in view the history of Hindu Janajagruti Sabha (HJS) which is organising these events, since they have a long history of attempting to incite people to resort to violence against the minority community. We request you to closely monitor these events/rallies for incidents of violence and/or hate speech.”

The Complaints may be read here:

Related:

Communal confrontations mar Ram Navami celebrations in five states

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The post Caution to the wind: Maha Police intimated to be vigilant of HJS Gudi Padwa events appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On October 21, a Supreme Court bench, comprising of Justices K M Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy, had issued stern interim directions directing the police chiefs of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to take “immediate” suo motu action against any hate speech delivered. The directives were not new, they reiterated existing laws and directed the police to do its constitutional and statutory duty: lodge criminal cases and investigate these without waiting for formal complaints from a citizen. Before and after this, the Supreme Court of India has, vocally bemoaned the fact that police and other authorities have not been taking any action against instances of hate speech despite orders from the apex court. Sad to say, these words by India’s highest court have been met with a lackadaisical response from police authorities on ground.

Following up on the orders issued by the Supreme Court from time to time, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) had, in line with its consistent campaign to curb hate speech, has been monitoring the Hindu extremist outfit, Hindu Janajagruiti Samaj (HJS) and its ominous recent forays into Maharashtra. Its trajectory and track record is well known in neighbouring Karnataka.[1] Are these the credentials then that have invited entry into Maharashtra, notably after a regime change in June 2022?

The campaign began with the HJS being at the forefront (though it was not the only outfit by any means) to run a campaign advocating the passage of an anti-conversion (read ‘anti-love jihad’) laws in Maharashtra. Extremist Right-wing Hindu groups have been using the term “love-Jihad” loosely now, wielded by an aggressive majoritarianism, woven into a dominant caste Hindu narrative of religious extremism, Islamophobia, and communal hatred. The HJS fairly brazenly claims on its website that the outfit has been conducting regular workshops to make Hindus “aware” of the consequences of autonomous and free choice marriages, derogatively and provocatively termed ‘Love Jihad.’

The website of HJS provided information regarding the many events the outfit had planned for the month of February and March 2023, in various parts of Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Goa and Karnataka. These events began from February 21, in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. They have since dotted both the Maharashtra and Karnataka landscape. Karnataka goes to the polls mid-2023 and Maharashtra in the second half of 2024. Since prior to this date, CJP has continuously monitored the HJS events page, which is updated on a daily basis and new events were included. In each of these cases, CJP has sent preemptive complaints to the state and district authorities. Through these preemptive complaints, CJP had urged the police and authorities to take preventive action, monitor, video tape and thereafter prosecute the speakers at these scheduled events. In many of the cases where events have been scheduled, CJP had also sent memorandums to the elected Members of the Maharashtra & Karnataka Legislative Assemblies (MLA) or the Members of Parliament (MPs) of the particular constituency/region where the HJS event was scheduled to take place, urging them to ensure that the police and authorities under them take the necessary preventive action. In almost none of these was any action noticeable.

A detailed table listing the complaints sent by CJP is as follows:

What did the preemptive complaint entail?

Through this preemptive complaint, CJP had has brought to the notice of the concerned district and state authorities that a “Hindu Rashtra Jagruti Sabha: event was scheduled to be held in their district, wherein anti-Muslim hate speeches were in all likelihood likely to be delivered, and calls for establishing a Hindu nation will be made, most often by stigmatizing (as second class, untrustworthy citizens) and targeting religious minorities.

The complaint first began by pointing out the guidelines and precedents set by the Supreme Court on hate speeches and the duties of the police officers in taking preventive actions. On February 3, 2023, the Supreme Court issued directions with respect to an event which was scheduled to be held in Mumbai on February 5 by Sakal Hindu Samaj. The court had taken an undertaking from government of Maharashtra that if permission for this event is granted “it will be subject to the condition that nobody will make any hate speech and in defiance of law or disturbing the public order.” There has been clearly multiple breaches of this “undertaking” made to the highest court. The court also gave directions that it shall be the duty of the police officers to invoke section 151 of Code of Criminal Procedure for preventive action in case the need for the same arises.

The complaint also highlighted the oath taken by every government servant, including Indian Police Service officers, under the Third Schedule of the Constitution [Articles 75(4), 99, 124(6), 148(2), 164(3), 188 and 219]. Through this emphasis, the complaint reminded the specific elected representatives, and the concerned IPS and IAS officials of the constituency/district — as government servants who took an oath to be wedded to true faith solemnly affirm an allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, it is their statutory and Constitutional duty to take action against speakers at such events that make discriminatory remarks that affect the Right to Life, Equality, Justice and Equality before the Law of all Indians.

To substantiate their raise concerns about the HJS outfit, CJP, in its complaint has highlighted the divisive and majoritarian track record (background) of HJS, along with the previous hate speeches delivered at events organised by the HJS as well as the hate offenders associated with the organisation.  It was provided that, in the past, many notorious hate offenders and hate speakers, such as T. Raja, Pramod Muthalik, Meenakshi Sharan, H.H. Sambhajirao Bhide, Kalicharan Maharaj and Suresh Chavhanke, had been associated with HJS, and participated in their activities. An event had been organised by the HJS last year where notorious hate offender Sambhaji Bhide had advocated for the boycott of Halal Products.

On these detailed and researched lines, the CJP had urged the Police to take preventive measures to stop this event from taking place and take any other action deemed necessary in this regard.

A sample of such a complaint in its entirety may be read here.

In addition to this, CJP had sent preemptive memorandums to the elected MLAs and MPs of the concerned districts, reminding them of their oaths and duties, to do all that they can in their power in ensuring that the police takes the required preventive action in this highlighted regard by following due process of law.

The full memorandum sent to the MPs/MLAs may be read here.

Was any action actually taken in pursuance to the preemptive complaints?

After sending the complaint, the standard procedure developed by the CJP Legal Team was to call at the numbers of the authorities to whom the complaint was sent, to ensure that the authorities have received the complaint. This said SOP was developed after the CJP team had contacted the Ratnagiri authorities with the aim of following up and questioned them regarding the inaction pursuant to the complaint. It is essential to note, that after the first preemptive complaint was sent to the Ratnagiri preemptive complaint, the HJS had uploaded pictures and photos from the Ratnagiri event. Thus, it had become evident that the event had taken place with no checks and balances apparently in place. After have questioned the authority, it had become evident that the complaints had not even been opened by the police officers, much less been taken cognizance of.

A detailed account of the same can be read here.

Pursuant to this, the CJP Team had started contacting each and every officer to whom the complaint had been addressed. Most of these phone calls yielded no results, the officers would only shrug responsibility, provide more numbers of more police officers, stating that the area of the scheduled event did not fall under their jurisdiction! Contacting those numbers would just lead to more numbers being given, of control rooms, of constables and police station inspectors, none of whom knew what guidelines or what events we were referring to.

What is most concerning is that the apparently efficient digitalized mode of communication (emails etc) listed on police websites for the citizenry are completely ineffective: there is almost no connect between the computer cabins that “receive” such communications and the district police or location/beat police offices meant to respond to potentially disruptive programmes!

Ironically, there were also rare cases where the police officer would actually be aware about the event and the complaint. In the case of Udupi, the police officer officially told CJP that even though they are aware of the event taking place, they do not think that hate speeches will be made! When the team highlighted that the HJS has been notorious for indulging in hate speech against Muslims, –that too in Udupi itself–the office of the police came back with “we will look into it.”

In the case of Jharkhand, the officers contacted by the team were aware about the event. Despite this, they repeatedly asked the team members to physically come to the station to file a complaint. This clearly means that the SC guidelines directing the police to follow the; law and file complaints is not being followed. On being told that CJP is a non-governmental organisation in Mumbai, the officer just said that nothing can be done in that case, and only coming to the police station will help. All the efforts of re-iterating the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court did not result in any action.

In the case of Mumbai, CJP Team spoke to the senior police inspector of Azad Maidan police station. When the team raised its concerns regarding the impending rally, the officer said that they had said that they are aware about it, and are planning to monitor it. When asked if they will be video-graphing the event as well, they did not clarify. The officer had also said that they did not think any hate speech or any anti-Muslim speech will be taking place at the said event. 

What actually happened: the hate speeches made at the events

From the Facebook pages and the Twitter pages of HJS, videos and photos events have been uploaded. Except for Jharkhand and Mumbai, the HJS had organised a Hindu Rashtra Jagruti Sabha event at all the other places. While only the video of the Dapoli event speech has been provided on the HJS Facebook, it can be easily asserted that a similar speech was given at the event organised at other districts too. In Dapoli, the speech given was one hour long, and the same repeated calls for establishing Hindu Rashtra, previously also uttered, were also made. The main speaker was Manoj Khadaye, Coordinator of HJS. In his speech, he brought in the favourite bogey topics of the extremist Hindu outfits, such as “Love-Jihad,” “Halal Certificate”, “Forced” Religious conversions, to target the religious minorities of the country.

Some of the derogatory statements that were made are as follows:

“Until Love Jihad law is not introduced, our struggle will continue. When Shraddha Walker was murdered, many morchas were held but that is not enough. When our women are in distress, we do not do candle march. When Sita was kidnapped, Hanuman burnt Lanka- that is our tradition”

“We do not speak against Muslim(s) but who are the ones doing love jihad? Who are killing cows? We have to take their name”

“Around 30,000 cows are being slaughtered every month.”

“These Christian missionaries are roaming around with Bibles in villages and trying to converting people. They lie to people and try to convert them that you will be cured of diseases. Hence we should oppose religious conversion.” 

The video can be viewed here:

In Mumbai, the event that was planned was for promoting the agenda of fort protection of Islamic encroachment. Through their speeches that were promoting the event, each person had specifically mentioned that the forts in Maharashtra have been encroached upon by Muslims and mosques and ‘mazaar’ have been built in the premises of these forts. Through this event, they had demanded for the removal of encroachments on forts, action against those officials who allowed such encroachments, no rehabilitation of encroachers at the expense of the government and setting up of a State level Committee to preserve forts. Words like land jihad, love jihad bulldozers were also used a lot during this event

Some of the derogatory statements that were made are as follows:

“If they can come together for breaking our country (anti-CAA protests) why can’t we come together for our religion?”

“There is no adharm in removing this encroachment.”

“We are ready to shed blood.”

“This way they are taking over all the heritage structures that were built by Shivaji Maharaj and stern action is necessary from the state government.”

The video can be viewed here:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?extid=CL-UNK-UNK-UNK-AN_GK0T-GK1C&mibextid=1YhcI9R&ref=watch_permalink&v=894195825228596

Is India a country with myriad laws and guidelines, but no implementation?

The Supreme Court of India used the word “embarrassed” to express itself when lawyers kept approaching the court to prohibit hate speeches from happening. “You ask us to be embarrassed again and again by getting an order [and nobody taking action],” the bench remarked orally when a lawyer wanted to argue an application to prohibit a Hindu Jan Akrosh Morcha rally in Mumbai on February 5, on the grounds that this rally would be platforming anti-Muslim hate speech.

But the truth is that human rights activists and human rights lawyers have no option left but to approach the Supreme Court for even the smallest hate speech violation, faced as they are with brazen inaction by the state police on ground. Approaching the Supreme Court has become the only resort for justice.

Not only is there a lack of implementation of the Supreme Court guidelines at the grass root level. From police to elected leaders, our urges and preemptive complaints fell on deaf ears despite dedicated and responsible follow-up. It became evident that these emails and phone numbers available on online police station websites are cosmetic

What will the Supreme Court now do if the officers in charge of implementing the guidelines are simply refusing to do so, owing to either willful ignorance or political pressure, influence or affiliation? How may a common concerned citizen of India even raise the issue of rights for law if the officer within whose jurisdiction these events fall remain unreachable? Who do the citizens approach when the police refuses to do their jobs?

Curbing hate speeches in India cannot be the job of an individual. The strong oprganisational network, political patronage and funding backing these extremist Hindu outfits is substantial and subversive. It behooves district courts, the high courts and the Supreme Court to step into the act. Has India reached a stage where in several states the political executive and it’s police is/are violating the law and Constitution and simply ignoring the substantive diktats issued, time and again, by our constitutional courts.

(A petition demanding strict action on growing hate speech events in the state of Maharashtra has been initiated by CJP. The petition points towards the systematic hate speech rallies being carried out throughout the state, states that “some organised groups, politically connected, are involved, in a systematic organisation of such events across many districts and carry out rallies and invite speakers known to have delivered hate speeches in the past. The said petition may be signed here.)

The post A roundup of the CJP’s efforts to curb hate speeches by Hindu Janajagruiti Samaj, from filing preemptive complaints to following up with officers appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Over three months, Maharashtra is the new target of hate-mongers. Extremist groups are rallying the public regularly, given permission by authoirities. The colour saffron overtook many streets of Maharashtra this weekend, as three rallies were organized by Sakal Hindu Samaj to push their communal agendas. On Sunday, February 26, a Hindu Jan Aakrosh Morcha rally was held in Vashi, and Navi Mumbai, during which calls for an economic boycott of the Muslim community were made. The rally was orchestrated to push communal agendas and put pressure on the state government to pass legislation to deal with ‘Love Jihad,’ (‘forceful conversion’), cow slaughter, and ‘illegal encroachment on Hindu land’.

This rally was organised by the Sakal Hindu Samaj in Navi Mumbai to protest ‘love jihad’ and ‘land jihad,’ and began at Vashi’s Blue Diamond Chowk. The “protestors” included people ranging from ages of 4 year olds to elderly people, and marched for about 3 kms while waving their saffron flags and raising slogans that were anti-Muslim in nature.

Found amidst the sea of saffron flags were Ganesh Naik, MLA and BJP leader, along with other activists from BJP, as well as members of Hindu outfits such as Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal, that come under the umbrella of Sakal Hindu Samaj, as was provided by the Indian Express.

Kajal Shingla, alias ‘Kajal Hindusthani,’ a Gujarat resident who purports to be working for the cause of ‘Hindu human rights,’ was a keynote speaker, according to the Indian Express. Making misleading and distinctly Islamophobic statements, she said that “In Navi Mumbai, land jihad has become so prevalent that today 25 Bangladeshi Muslims live in one room.” Making an unconstitutional call, urging people to boycott Muslim vendors, Hindusthani claimed that they (Muslims) have taken over our produce and fruit markets. I want you to repeat after me: “We, the people of Maharashtra, will boycott them economically.”

“I urge you to question your Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation,” she said, citing the ‘illegal’ construction of eight dargahs in APMC fruit market, as well as dargahs near Ghansoli and at several Navi Mumbai stations, as was reported by the Indian Express. Provoking people to damage public properties, she said that “only when the women of our households come out and question the authorities will Navi Mumbai be free of them. Do they seek permission to build illegal dargahs? So why do you need permission to demolish their property?”

Continuing with her communal diatribe, Hindusthani instigated her Hindu audience to not rent or sell their spaces to them. She further added that if this is happening in your neighborhood, form an association with rules stating that anyone who is not an idol worshipper should not be rented or sold a flat, the Indian Express provided.

It is being estimated that nearly 4,000 people belonging to various Hindu outfits participated in the rally. Even though a large number of police personnel were present to prevent any untoward incident, hate speeches were made in open defiance. Some videos of the hate speeches, slogans raised and oaths taken have also made their way to social media. During the rally, slogans such as ‘Garv se kaho hum Hindu hai’ were also raised. In these videos, people walking with saffron flags, donning saffron caps, can be seen asking the government to bring in Love-Jihad laws, anti-conversion laws and anti-land jihad laws.

The video can be viewed here:

You might not have seen Nazi Germany, it is playing out here, right in front of me, the streets of New Mumbai, at an anti-Muslim rally where thousands of Hindus have converged for an anti Love Jihad, Land Jihad, anti- conversion rally. pic.twitter.com/WFrzzOxZyv

— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) February 26, 2023

Another such hate rally under the banner of Hindu Janakroash Morcha was held in Maharashtra in Vasai. In a video from the said event, a speaker can be heard saying that if the state government of Maharashtra does not form anti-conversion laws, then they (Hindus) know how to take care of those (Muslims) who pose a threat to our daughters. She then delivers an oath, repeated by her audience, wherein she pledges to protect their “hindu nation” and make it “Jihad free”, and that they will keep on working towards making their dream “Hindu Rashtra.”

The video can be viewed here:

This is from #Vasai West, #Maharashtra.

Another hate rally under the banner of Hindu Janakroash Morcha (#HJM) held in Maharashtra.

Here a #Hindutva leader administered an oath for #HinduRashtra and call to fight against issues that are based on conspiracy theories.#HateSpeech pic.twitter.com/CcWrMWgLq2

— Hate Detector ? (@HateDetectors) February 26, 2023

A third such hate rally was held in Maharashtra’s Solapur, also under the auspices of Sakal Hindu Samaj. In this program of Hindu Garjana Morcha, similar demands strict laws on love jihad, religious conversion, and cow slaughter were made. T. Raja, a speaker at this event, had put up post on social media thanking all the “devotees of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj” who had come to this event. In the pictures posted by him, a big crowd can be seen attending this event.

The post can be viewed here:

आज महाराष्ट्र के सोलापुर में सकल हिन्दू समाज के तत्वदान में लव जिहाद, धर्मांतरण और गौहत्या पर कठोर कानून बनाने की मांग को लेकर हिन्दू गर्जना मोर्चा का कार्यक्रम किया गया।

कार्यक्रम में आए सभी छत्रपति शिवाजी महाराज के मावलों का हृदय से धन्यवाद।

जय श्री राम।
जय शिवराय। pic.twitter.com/dtX6GZSHUC

— Raja Singh (@TigerRajaSingh) February 26, 2023

A clip of his speech was also uploaded on social media, wherein he can be seen insinuating (based on manipulated historical facts and untruths) that Chhtrapati Shivaji Maharaj had, at the age of 12, cut the hand of a butcher who was going to kill a cow to eat its beef, the Hindus should follow his example and pick up a sword against those dogs (Muslims).

The video can be viewed here:

Jai Shree Ram pic.twitter.com/adXzwfdXWk

— vachaspati annaldas (@TheVachaspati) February 26, 2023

(In)Action by the police in following the orders of the Supreme Court

These rallies come in the wake of recent Supreme Court directives, in which a bench of Justices K M Joseph and J B Pardiwala directed that the Hindu Jan Aakrosh Morcha in Mumbai, being held on February 5, would be permitted only if ‘no hate speech’ is guaranteed.

The Navi Mumbai police have stated that they have videotaped the event and are investigating the content of the speeches. “There were utterances at the rally that we believe may have come under hate speech,” said Navi Mumbai Deputy Commissioner of Police (zone I), Vivek Pansare. Thus, the DCP asserted that they will go over the recording again and see if it can be classified as hate speeches.  

This comes after, on February 22, the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation had sent a letter to the Navi Mumbai Police, urging them to take preventive action against the proposed Hindu Jan Akrosh Morcha, or face contempt of the Supreme Court. In a letter to the Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe, MGF President, Tushar A. Gandhi – the great grandson of the Mahatma – had stressed on the rising incidents of hate speeches and rallies being organised in Mumbai, in other cities and towns in Maharashtra, with police “not showing any concern”. Gandhi is also a petitioner against hate offenders in the Supreme Court. In the letter, Gandhi had written that these rallies have the potential to disrupt social harmony.

Sakal Hindu Samaj, an apex organisation of Hindu-nationalist organisations, has organised three similar protests in Mumbai over the past month. On Febraury 9, an event was organised by the Sakal Hindu Samaj in Baramati, where hate offenders Kalicharan Maharaj and Shankar Gaikar had given hate speeches. On January 29, one day before the 75th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination by Nathuram Godse, an ominous ‘Hindu Jan Aakrosh Morcha’ had been organised against ‘love jihad’ and ‘land jihad’, which had ended with a provocative speech by Goshamahal MLA T Raja Singh calling for a boycott of Muslim owned businesses and for Hindus to ‘slit throats’

The Hindu Jan Aakrosh Morcha, which translates to rally for Hindu people’s fury, had originated from a rally in the Parbhani district of the Marathwada region in November of last year. Over the past three months, similar rallies have been organised across over 20 districts in Maharashtra, including Parbhani, Nanded, Ahmednagar, Kolhapur, Gadchiroli, Satara, Karad, Sangli, Solapur, Pune, Dhule, Jalgaon, Nagpur, Amravati, Hingoli, Buldhana, and Jalna. Many of them have been attended by local BJP leaders including ministers of the state government. 

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CJP’S CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AGAINST SHANKAR GAIKAR’S HATE SPEECH AT SHAURYA SANCHALAN

The post Maharashtra: Vasai, Navi Mumbai, Solapur, 3 rallies held by Hindu Jan Aakrosh Morcha demanding ‘Love-Jihad laws’ appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On February 22, the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation sent a letter to the Navi Mumbai Police, urging them to take preventive action against the proposed Hindu Jan Akrosh Morcha, which is proposed to be held on February 26 in Navi Mumbai by the Sakal Hindu Samaj, or face contempt of the Supreme Court. In a letter to the Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe, MGF President, Tushar A. Gandhi – the great grandson of the Mahatma – stressed on the rising incidents of hate speeches and rallies being organised in Mumbai, in other cities and towns in Maharashtra, with police “not showing any concern”. Gandhi is also a petitioner against hate offenders in the Supreme Court.

In the letter, Gandhi had written that these rallies have the potential to disrupt social harmony.

The Sakal Hindu Samaj, an apex organisation of Hindu-nationalist organizations, had scheduled a Hindu Jan Akrosh rally to protest against “cow slaughter, ‘love jihad,’ and religious conversions” for February 26 in Vashi. The said even will now be videographed as per the Supreme Court directives.

“Due to this apathy on the part of the law enforcement agencies, concerned citizens are compelled to move the courts to ensure implementation of several orders passed by the highest courts of the land,” Tushar Gandhi told the media.

Videography for preventive measures

The decision for video-shooting was announced by Navi Mumbai Commissioner of Police Milind Bharambe after MGF president Tushar Gandhi sought preventive measures for the rally.

Meanwhile, Shashikant Yadav, a representative of Vishwa Hindu Parishad from Navi Mumbai said, “Under the umbrella of Sakal Hindu Samaj, all Hindu organisations will assemble at Blue Diamond Chowk in Kopri Vashi around 3pm on February 26, and will march towards Shivaji Chowk in Sector 17,” as was reported by the Free Press Journal. 

Yadav stated that reports of ‘love jihad’ and religious conversions from across the country cannot be viewed in isolation.

Recently, the Supreme Court had directed the Maharashtra police to ensure that permission is granted to the organizers, the Sakal Hindu Samaj, only if there is no hate speech. It also directed that the event be videotaped and that the videos be made available to the court on the next date.

CJP’s efforts to curb hate- memos seeking preventive actions by the police and elected members

On February 7, Citizens for Justice Peace (CJP) had raised some concerns about the proposed event being organized by Sakal Hindu Samaj on February 9 in Baramati, Maharashtra, and had sent a preemptive memorandum to the authorities of Baramati. Through the memorandum, CJP had brought to the notice of DGP, Mahasrashtra as well as SP of Rural Pune and Deputy SP of Baramati, that an event was going to be held in Baramati where hate offenders Kalicharan Maharaj and Shankar Gaikar have been invited to speak. Despite the above-mentioned preemptive complaints to the state, district, and local police chiefs, no preventive measures were taken to prevent the event from happening.

On February 20, had once again sent a preemptive memorandum to authorities regarding the proposed event being organized by Hindu Janajagruti Samiti on February 21 in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, and raised some concerns about it. Hindu Janajagruti Samiti is the same organisation that has been giving a platform to hate speech offenders to make hate speech by organising events demanding the establishment of a Hindu nation, boycott of Halal meat, ‘love jihad’, religious conversion and cow slaughter. Through the said memorandum, CJP had brought to the notice of District Collector, Ratnagiri as well as Superintendent of Police (SP), Ratnagiri that a Hindu Rashtra Jagruti Sabha event is going to be held in Dapoli, Ratnagiri wherein hate speeches will be delivered, and calls for establishing a Hindu nation will be made, presumable bytargeting and hurting religious sentiments of minorities.

Despite the pre-emptive notice to the police, as well as to MP Shri Vinayak Bhaurao Raut, Shiv Sena, the event took place and hate speeches were given. The event was broadcasted live on Facebook on the same day.

The Letter may be read here:

Related:

Citizens’ attempts to prevent hate speech event ignored, Hate Event allowed by Ratnagiri Police

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On February 20, Citizens for Justice and Peace, in their persistent and documented attempts to prevent events propagating hate speech, had sent a preemptive memorandum to authorities of Ratnagiri regarding an event proposed to be organized by the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS). In this memorandum, CJP had brought to the notice of District Collector, Ratnagiri as well as Superintendent of Police (SP), Ratnagiri that a Hindu Rashtra Jagruti Sabha event was going to be held in Dapoli, Ratnagiri on February 21 wherein hate speeches will be delivered, and calls for establishing a Hindu nation will be made, presumable by targeting and hurting religious sentiments of minorities. The previous track record of the organisations and speakers were also detailed.

Despite the pre-emptive notice to the police, as well as to MP Shri Vinayak Bhaurao Raut, Shiv Sena, the event took place and hate speeches were given. The event was broadcasted live on Facebook on the same day.

The speech delivered on February 21 at Dapoli, Ratnagiri

The speech was one hour long, and the same repeated calls for establishing Hindu Rashtra, previously also uttered, were also made. The main speaker was Manoj Khadaye, Coordinator of HJS. In his speech, he brought in the favourite bogey topics of the extremist Hindu outfits, such as Love-Jihad, Halal Certificate, Forced Religious conversions, to target the religious minorities of the country.

A few of the instigating and derogatory statements made by the speaker are:

“Until Love Jihad law is not introduced, our struggle will continue. When Shraddha Walker was murdered, many morchas were held but that is not enough. When our women are in distress, we do not do candle march. When Sita was kidnapped, Hanuman burnt Lanka, that is our tradition” (Timestamp- 09.02)

“In Dapoli as well … have fallen prey to love jihad” (Timestamp- 11.16)

“We do not speak against Muslim(s) but who are the ones doing love jihad? Who are killing cows? We have to take their name” (Timestamp-11.20)

“We are being told we are secular and we are all brothers. We know that, our religion teaches us that. Brother have same mother and our mother is the cow and the day they treat cows as their mother, they will be our brothers” (Timestamp- 12.10)

“Around 30,000 cows are being slaughtered every month.”

“These Christian missionaries are roaming around with Bibles in villages and trying to converting people. They lie to people and try to convert them that you will be cured of diseases. Hence we should oppose religious conversion.” (Timestamp-12.41)

“Through Waqf board so much has been annexed. In 2013 when Manmohan Singh was prime Minister he made some changes and gave them many rights to take over our homes, our shops, our temple lands. You can read sections 3, 52 and 53 of the Waqf Board Act over the internet. So they can take over any land in the name of Waqf Board.” (Timestamp- 15.01)

[Statements from the speech have been translated from Marathi]

As is apparent from the content of the speech made here and again, half-truths and inciteful statements are being made against Muslims and Christians. As is well established in human rights jurisprudence such repeated speeches delivered from persons and organisations who enjoy social and political clout create stigmatization of the targeted section and make them vulnerable to not just socio-economic discrimination, but violence.

This speech was then followed up by a self-defense act. A part of this act showed the Hindus using their knowledge of defense when they are attacked by a person, who is evidently portrayed as a Muslim.

The video can be viewed here: 

The follow-up of the complaint with the authorities- A conundrum

With the aim of following up with the police and questioning them regarding the inaction of the police, the CJP team today contacted the Ratnagiri District Collector’s office as well as the office of the Superintendent of Police of the district.

Speaking with the District Collector, M Devendra Singh, it became clear that they were not even aware of any such pre-emptive complaint that had been sent. The Collector denied any responsibility by saying that the CJP team should contact the SP office as the matters of law and order are dealt with by them. While he said that he was aware about the HJS event taking place in Dapoli, he denied having any information on whether the event had taken place after having attained any approval from the police or not. He did not answer any further questions, though several were put to him, and only provided the team with another number of the Superintendent of Police.

When the CJP Team contacted the office of the Superintendent, Dhananjay Kulkarni, they did not entertain any question and gave the team yet another number, which belonged to a department that deals with the complaints that are sent online. When the team contacted that department, it again became evident that the email containing the preemptive memo had not even been opened before we made our call. When the team enquired as to why this email was not sent to the concerned authorities, the speaker on call from the department was heard talking to a colleague and asking “what should I say to them”, to which the colleague had say “say whatever you want it does not matter.”

The said department had then given CJP Team members another number, which belonged to a constable. The said number was not reachable for one hour. Post this, the CJP team again contacted the SP office, which led to our call being transferred to the SP. After speaking to the SP and informing them about the contents of our pre-emptive memo, he said that he will take half an hour to collect the necessary information and call us back in half an hour. After waiting for forty minutes, when the team contacted the SP office again, the call kept getting transferred to different departments and the SP did not receive the inquiries, again.

After half an hour of waiting and asking the department to connect us to the SP, the CJP team was given the number of another constable.

Even after spending almost 1.5 hours on the call with different officers of the police, the CJP team was unable to get any reply. Even after sending a pre-emptive memo and giving out the exact details of the location and date of scheduled hate-speech event, the police took no action. What was even more saddening is that the preventive memo had not even been opened. Even after having an entire department dedicated to dealing with complaints sent online, the memo did not reach the concerned authorities. Clearly the online contact emails and numbers are merely a public white-wash not meant for easy contact with the citizenry.

This brings us to the question: how are concerned citizens supposed to stop hate speech events from happening? From red-tapeism and the bureaucratic lag, to inaction or selective action of the police, the path to approaching and curbing hate speeches looks rather bleak. No answers are given by them. Even after reporting that hate speeches have taken place, the police does not take suo-moto cognizance. How do we approach this issue?

Hate speeches are taking place rampantly throughout the country, the state. The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti themselves have 12 more events planned in Maharashtra and Karnataka in the span of the next two weeks. If the police is refusing to take preventive action or file any charges against the perpetrators, it will only embolden such hate speakers.

In this complete indifference and refusal to respond evident from the Maharashtra authorities, clearly constitutional governance and participatory democracy do not really exist.

Previous HJS Speakers in Maharashtra

Firstly, in 2022, Kallicharan ‘Maharaj” was hosted by the controversial HJS in Maharashtra, after which Suresh Chavhanke, chief of RSS’ Sudarshan TV came in followed by Pramod Muthalik of the Sri Ram Sene and Shambhaji Bhide with an infamous hate mongering record in Pune and Satara previously and T Raja Singh, elected MLA of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Telangana.

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Maharashtra: The new breeding ground for hate, oaths of allegiance to the Constitution brutally violated

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In a shocking video of an online seminar, Narendra Dabholkar, the late anti-superstition activist and social reformer, was dubbed an ‘Urban Naxal’ by the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti (HJS). The Vishesh Samvad or special conversation in Marathi was hosted by the group on its Youtube and Facebook pages and was titled ‘Urban Naxalwad ani aparichit Dr. Dabholkar’ that can be translated as Urban Naxalism and the unknown Dr. Dabholkar.

The HJS has over 65,000 subscribers on Youtube, and Hindu Adhiveshan, the Facebook page of the HJS affiliate that hosted the live video has over 1.4 million followers. On Twitter the handle @hindujagrutiorg has over 44,000 followers.

The online seminar was hosted by HJS’s Satish Kochrekar and had speakers like Sumit Sagvekar from the organisation’s youth wing, Hindu Vidhigya Parishad spokesperson Virendra Ichalkaranjikar, and Sanatan Sanstha national spokesperson Chetan Rajhans, and also a video where senior journalist Bhau Torsekar compares Urban Naxalism to the coronavirus and calls it the enemy within India’s body.

The video then goes on to name activist Sudha Bharadwaj, poet Varavara Rao and even writer Arundhuti Roy as Naxal sympathisers. Rajhans in fact goes on to suggest that Urban Naxalism was a communist conspiracy by China and spread right from the time of independence. He says that Urban Naxalism is spread by brainwashing city people who are dissatisfied with their life or circumstances. Curiously, he also claims it is a part of an Islamic conspiracy to turn India into an Islamic state!  

As if this wasn’t trippy enough, Rajhans then goes on to target intellectuals, journalists and even the film industry for spreading Naxalist and communist ideas! He drags another slain rationalist Gauri Lankesh and claims she was working against the nation because she regarded Kanhaiya Kumar and Umar Khalid as her sons.

This is when, a good forty minutes into the seminar, Dr. Narendra Dabholkar and his anti-superstition organisation the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS) are mentioned for the first time. He is accused by Kocharekar of being a Naxal sympathiser who distributed pro-Naxal literature via ‘press notes’. What follows is a series of wild allegations linking Dabholkar and his organisation to Naxals and accusing them for furthering a Naxalite agenda.

Rajhans also accuses Dabholkar and his family of using the Parivartan Foundation to get foreign funding to further the Naxal agenda in India. He then goes on to make a series of bizarre claims against Dabholkar alleging tax evasion and even money laundering, asking why he was involved in peasants’ rights. This showcases the right-wing’s complete inability to look at social ills from the intersectional lens.

Rajhans then goes on to allege that Dabholkar’s social work aimed to discredit Hinduism in order to promote atheism as a part of an agenda that was not only anti-Hindu, but also anti-national.

The video of HJS’s Vishesh Samvad may be viewed here. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.

It is noteworthy that Narendra Dabholkar was a rationalist and a vocal opponent of blind-faith. He was a thorn in the side of right-wing extremists and was gunned down in cold blood on August 20, 2013 allegedly by Sharad Kalaskar and Sachin Andure, two men who allegedly owe allegiance to right-wing extremist groups themselves.

Interestingly, Amol Kale, a former convener of the Hindu Jangruti Samiti was allegedly the person who hired Parshuram Waghmare, the alleged shooter in the assassination of journalist Gauri Lankesh. The cold-blooded killings of Dabholkar, MM Kalburgi, Govind Pansare and Gauri Lankesh had sent shockwaves across India and were seen as signs of how far right-wing groups would go to silence rationalists, truth-speakers and dissenters.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the group is attempting to besmirch Dabholkar’s reputation even after his death. But there appears to be an even more nefarious motive to their latest actions. It appears that by dubbing Dabholkar as an ‘Urban Naxal’, a term originally coined by filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, the group is furthering the Sangh Parivar’s agenda of deligitimising all his goodwill.

It is important to remember that in October 2018, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat had launched a booklet titled ‘Kaun Hain Urban Naxal?’ at a glittering ceremony held in Nagaur, Rajasthan. Published by Jaipur based Vishwa Samvad Kendra and sold for Rs 20/- a piece, the booklet comprises 15 essays authored by the usual suspects; Makarand Paranjpe, Vivek Agnihotri, Dr Neelam Mahendra, and others. It appears these essays have been published previously on different platforms and just been compiled into this booklet. The booklet is an out and out smear campaign against some of India’s most respected intellectuals and human rights activists. However, this sinister agenda is driven by a rather banal set of stories.

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