On a hazy Sunday afternoon the streets of Delhi’s Lodhi Road area, a VIP zone in the heart of the city, where ministers, judges and senior government officials have residences, and international organisations have offices, were rather quiet. The high security zone however got a lot of traffic online as photos of a derogatory sticker on the signboard outside the India Islamic Cultural Centre building. The stickers probably pasted early on Sunday had “Jihadi terrorist centre.”  However, they were removed soon enough, the signboard wiped clean, and by early evening traffic on the road was heavy, there was police deployment, signaling a VIP was visiting, and its parking was full. 

A fringe group called Hindu Sena, proudly claimed their place in the Right Wing spotlight, and stood up as the ones who defaced the signboard with hate speech, that had their name on it as well. By Monday evening, Delhi Police had filed an FIR against “unknown persons”.  The FIR, stated online posts, was filed under Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act. However the hate speech was clearly communal in nature and if it had come up in multiple places, or sensitive zones would have possibly created unrest in the city. 

As a journalist asked, why did the FIR not invoke section 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony)?

Why does the FIR only invoke the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, and not 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony)?

— Ismat Ara (@IsmatAraa) November 2, 2020

According to news reports the Delhi Police stated that  the posters, declaring “Jihadi Terrorist Islamic Centre”, were removed immediately and an FIR registered against unknown persons at the Tughlak Road station after the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) reported the matter. “We have registered a case under Section 3 of the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act against unknown people. We are scanning CCTV cameras installed in and around the vicinity but have not found any relevant footage,” a senior police officer said.

The rightwing group Hindu Sena claimed its workers were responding to “radical terrorist activities” in the world, particularly France. The cultural centre is open to, and frequented by visitors of all faiths who attend various events hosted here.

The Hindu Sena has pasted the poster of “Jihadi Terrorist Islamic Center” on the board of the “India Islamic Cultural Center” in Delhi. Hindus also come in large numbers in this center, but hatred for Muslims is such that they see nothing but hatred. pic.twitter.com/f5DEpXyfKr

— Aafrin (@Aafrin7866) November 1, 2020

Hindu Sena president Vishnu Gupta told the media that some of his group’s workers were behind it, “the workers (karyakartas), they said radical terrorist activities are taking place all over the world, particularly in France… Our workers expressed their anger against such activities by putting posters at the India Islamic Centre.”

According to a report in the Indian Express the Hindu Sena has done this before. They specialise in defacing road signs in Delhi, and did so to the one outside the Chinese embassy in June this year. THis was their idea of protesting the killing of 20 Indian soldiers in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley. In 2019, they defaced a signboard at the posh Babar Road residential area, demanding that the road’ name be changed. They have done the same ‘poster’ attack in 2015, on Akbar Road and Feroz Shah Road. All these roads are in the centre of the city, with the highest levels of security and have government establishments like the Supreme Court, High Court, eminent cultural centres, national museums, residences of politicians, army brass, diplomatic establishments and residences, and most of the radial roads lead to the India Gate circle and the war memorial. There is regular police patrolling in all these areas, with additional guards in some establishments, and of course CCTV cameras and other security equipment in place.

Yet, it is not known why none of these miscreants are caught red handed when they go around plastering communal stickers, or defacing road signs which are public property.

Related:

Indian Muslim groups must show maturity and restraint while protesting Islamophobia in Paris
Debate: To blame or not to blame Islam for the Paris beheading?
The Beheading of a School Teacher in France: The Politics of Blasphemy
Paris beheading: The genesis of such hate crimes
Why is the right wing, including the BJP, ready to defend the indefensible?

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