Chief Justice of India urged to take suo moto notice of the increasing spate of hate speeches
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – Prominent social activists have condemned the alarming increase in hate crimes against minorities.
In a statement issued on Monday, the collective said in the recent elections India’s electorate gave a clear verdict against polarisation and the divisive campaign of hate. But, it said, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) refuses to learn its lessons.
“BJP leaders have loudly blamed the minority community for their defeat, such targeting of minority communities has been openly indulged in by BJP leaders right from the prime minister to state leadership and has fueled hate against the minority communities and encouraged violent crimes targeting them. This is a worrying trend and we strongly condemn it,” the statement said.
It was signed by Dr GG. Parikh, Medha Patkar, Tushar Gandhi, Farher Frezier, Dr Sunilam, Teesta Setalvad, Shabnam Hashmi, Justice Kolse Patil (retd), Irfan Engineer, Dolphy D’Souza, Feroz Mithiborewala and Guddi.
The activists appealed to the Leader of the Opposition to immediately raise this issue in Parliament, and issue a public statement condemning the increasing violent attacks and reassuring the minorities about their safety and security.
“The constituents of the INDIA Bloc and its leaders must also immediately speak out & mobilise their cadres and the citizens to defend the minorities by raising the issue in Parliament, in state assemblies and on the streets of India. We must all unitedly defeat this divisive conspiracy,” the statement said.
The activists expressed grave concern that the prime minister himself continues to make provocative and unsubstantiated allegations against the minorities thus fueling hate crimes. “His party’s devious design is to polarise the citizenry along religious lines. We stand united to defeat their nefarious conspiracy to divide our nation irrevocably along communal and caste lines,” they said.
Urging the Chief Justice of India to take suo moto notice of the increasing spate of hate speeches resulting in violent hate crimes against the minority communities, the statement said the apex court must expressly order the police to act urgently and provide protection to minority communities and prosecute hate mongers and those indulging in hate crimes.
The statement also urged the government to stand by its constitutional commitments and publicly issue a statement condemning hate crimes and immediately instruct all states to implement measures to protect the minorities.
“As citizens of India, we assure our sisters and brothers of the minorities that we stand with them in this hour of peril. The majority of the people of our nation stand with the minorities and thus they need not feel isolated or abandoned in any way,” the activists said.
