HATE SPEECH
The senior BJP leader rejects religious harmony during a speech at a recent gathering in Mumbai
MUMBAI — Nitesh Rane, a senior BJP leader and minister in Maharashtra, has once again made controversial remarks targeting the Muslim community. In his latest speech, he referred to Muslims as “green snakes” and urged Hindus to take a harder line, rejecting the idea of religious coexistence.
Speaking at a recent gathering in Mumbai, Rane openly dismissed communal harmony and equal respect for all religions — principles enshrined in India’s constitutional secular framework.
“The interests of Hindus come first and foremost. There is no brotherhood and no equal respect for all religions,” he said. “Whoever believes in this should go to Pakistan. There is no need to live here.”
Rane made the remarks during a Sambhaji Jayanti event organised by Hindutva groups. The speech has sparked outrage, with analysts and rights groups saying such rhetoric further alienates minorities and undermines the country’s secular and inclusive fabric. Since Narendra Modi assumed power at the Centre in 2014, Hindutva leaders have frequently framed Muslims as outsiders or internal threats, even though the community comprises more than 200 million people in India.
Rane also used derogatory terms for Muslims, calling them “green snakes” and “jihadis,” while encouraging Hindus to become more hardline.
In another contentious remark, Rane said, “This is Mahadev’s land. Only ‘I Love Mahadev’ will continue, not ‘I Love Muhammad’,” appearing to reference past disputes over religious slogans and communal tensions in several parts of the country.
Videos of the speech have circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from Muslim groups and civil rights advocates who accused the BJP leader of promoting communal hatred and demonising the Muslim minority.
Rane has faced criticism before for provocative anti-Muslim rhetoric, part of a broader pattern of incendiary speeches by Hindutva politicians in recent years. Rights advocates and Muslim groups have repeatedly warned that such rhetoric fuels growing hostility, social polarization, and attacks targeting India’s Muslim minority.
Communal speeches invoking Pakistan, “jihad,” and loyalty narratives have become increasingly common in Indian political discourse under BJP rule, particularly during elections, religious processions, and Hindu nationalist events.
