New Delhi:
Holding that “vitriolic” remarks by BJP leaders targeting Muslims “violate” the spirit of the Constitution, National Commission for Minorities has asked Home Minister Rajnath Singh to go into such comments.
In a strongly-worded letter to Singh, NCM President Naseem Ahmad cited statements of BJP MPs Sakshi Maharaj and Yogi Adityanath and party MLA Usha Thakur—all attacking Muslims— and sought the minister’s “assurance” that the government will take action.
Though Ahmad’s letter written yesterday does not name any political party but all the three instances of “hate speeches” he mentioned involve BJP leaders.
“Comments by Sakshi Maharaj associating terrorism with madrassas and with Muslims,” the NCM head said in his first example of such recent comments.
“Derogatory comments on Muslims with regard to garba celebrations by MLA Usha Thakur,” he said in another example before highlighting Adityanath’s ‘love-jihad’ barbs at Muslims.
“Unfounded and extremely offensive comments about Muslims by MP Yogi Adityanath regarding ‘love-jihad’ and riots being engineered by Muslims,” he said.
The government, Ahmad said, must demonstrate its “unwillingness” to tolerate any speech or action that is likely to “aggravate” communal tensions in any part.
“These statements are being made by prominent members of political parties and of Parliament and violate the spirit of our Constitution as well as the Indian Penal Code.
“I urge you to have them investigated and duly dealt with in the interest of communal harmony and a sense of security that a secular country such as ours guarantees to all its minorities,” he wrote to Singh.
The Commission had passed a resolution on September 1, he said, adding that it was sent to the home minister but such “incidents are only increasing and we have received several petitions against such vitriolic utterances”.
NCM was urged last week by noted jurist Fali Nariman to take action against such hate speeches. Delivering the Commission’s annual lecture, Nariman had criticised the government’s silence over the issue and urged it to act.
