Sack the instigators

Prime Minister Modi pledged to transform India into a Hindutwa nation after coming to power adopting various strategies to accomplish his mission.

The Ministers and the senior leaders in the ruling party have the same temperament of hatred towards the minority communities as well as the same agenda. Several BJP leaders have made extremely poisonous remarks inciting communal sentiments and the government has kept a meaningful silence all the time. Spreading communal hatred and sectarianism in the society are apparently the criteria for selecting and appointing the party representatives in the Modi government. The latest controversy involves the Union Minister, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyothi who triggered a controversy by making inflammatory comments during an election rally in New Delhi. Jyothi had said that the people of Delhi have to decide if they want a government of those born of Ram or of those who are illegitimately born.

The expletives drew severe criticism from the opposition parties combined and other sectors rocking both the houses of the parliament. The members have demanded an apology and her resignation. When the criticisms mounted, Jyothi initially justified her stand saying that she was referring to the anti-nationals who compromised with the country’s integrity; but later issued an apology expressing ‘deep regret’ over her actions and said that she didn’t intend to hurt anyone’s feelings. Jyothi is a Minister of state for food processing industries and joined the Modi’s council of Ministers early last month.

BJP strongly countered the opposition protests reinforcing the party’s stance of encouraging and fostering hatred and sectarianism in the society and splitting the community along sectarian lines. It is not the first time the Modi government has been critisised for the ‘hate speeches’ of its leaders. BJP MP Giriraj Singh drew flak earlier saying that those who were against Modi should go to Pakistan. VHP leader Praveen Togadia had invited heavy critism when he said that Muslims should not be allowed to buy property in Hindu areas. He had made a controversial speech at Kozhikode in 2003, a few months after the Marad communal clashes that claimed nine lives. The state government allegedly withdrew the hate speech case against him. The remarks of Vinay Kathyar, Ashok Singhal and many others are also equally venomous.

There are sufficient laws enshrined in the constitution that calls for the punishment of persons igniting religious sentiments. But the government has not taken the necessary actions in the matter. Jyothi incident reiterates the fact that people who are elected to power don’t fulfill their promises once they assume office and therefore couldn’t be expected to behave responsibly. The remark certainly doesn’t suit a person occupying a senior constitutional post and reveals BJP’s true face of divisive politics once again. The government should tackle such advocates of Hindu nationalism who spread communal poison by issuing the deserving punishments.