On November 5, 7, and 8, 2024, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) filed three separate complaints with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Maharashtra, S. Chockalingam against Suresh Chavhanke, editor-in-chief of Sudarshan News, for violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and the provisions of the Representation of People Act, 1951 with his inflammatory and divisive speeches delivered at various events in October 2024. These complaints highlighted Chavhanke’s ongoing use of hate speech to stoke communal tensions and manipulate public opinion during the sensitive pre-election period. On October 20, in Ahmednagar, Chavhanke made derogatory remarks against the LGBTQ+ community and falsely accused Christians of targeting the region for conversions. On October 22, at the Janata-NRC event in Karad, Satara, Chavhanke propagated baseless conspiracies about Muslim “infiltrators” and praised Myanmar’s controversial expulsion of Rohingyas and on October 24, during an event in Pimpri-Chinchwad, he referred to Muslim-majority areas as “mini-Pakistan” and “no-go zones.”
CJP’s complaints emphasized that Chavhanke’s speeches promoted Islamophobia, religious intolerance, and harmful stereotypes. By spreading dangerous narratives such as “love jihad,” “land jihad,” and baseless fears of demographic change, he sought to polarize voters along religious lines, undermining the integrity of the electoral process. CJP urged the CEO Maharashtra to take immediate action against Chavhanke to uphold the principles of free, fair, and peaceful elections, ensuring that such hate speech does not go unpunished.
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Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune [November 7, 2024]
On November 7, 2024, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) filed a formal complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Maharashtra against Suresh Chavhanke for his inflammatory and divisive speech delivered on October 24, 2024, during the Janta NRC event. In his speech, Chavhanke claimed that 10 crore “infiltrators” should be removed from India, citing alleged court support, and referred to Muslim politicians as “traitors.” He also made derogatory remarks about Muslim-majority areas in Pimpri-Chinchwad, calling them “mini-Pakistan” and “no-go zones.” This speech constitutes a clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), which governs the conduct of political parties and candidates during elections to ensure fairness and a peaceful electoral process. Suresh Chavhanke said that “Now where did the figure of ten crores come from? Some journalist friends will be here. Some did not come here. But those are the two Namakharams of Hyderabad, traitors. Whether they watch anything else or not. They may miss a prayer. But he never misses what Suresh Chavhanke says at 8 PM.”
He further added that “Perhaps Hindus in India know me less. At that time, we were going from village to village. But friends I was telling you that defined. We won the court battle.”
“I know now. I asked when I was coming here, what happened in this place in Pimpri, Chinchwad and also Kundalwadi, Chikhli, Bhosari, Nigdi. No more Mini, no more Mini-Pakistan. There is a place in Mumbai. If you write the same name Pakistan, Pakistan on the postcard, still will reach there” he remarked.
CJP mentioned in its complaint that Chavhanke’s remarks were designed to stoke communal tensions by polarizing voters along religious lines and creating an atmosphere of hostility between Hindus and Muslims. By labeling Muslim-majority areas as foreign territories loyal to Pakistan, Chavhanke’s speech falsely portrayed Indian Muslims as a threat to national security and integrity. This dangerous rhetoric not only undermines the principles of free and fair elections but also perpetuates harmful stereotypes, portraying a specific religious group as outsiders and traitors.
CJP’s complaint to CEO Maharashtra on November 7, 2024 can be read here
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Ahmednagar [November 5, 2024]
On November 5, 2024, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) filed a complaint with the CEO Maharashtra against Suresh Chavhanke for violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) with his hate-filled speech in Ahmednagar on October 20, 2024. In his speech, Chavhanke made derogatory remarks against the LGBTQ+ community, describing them as a propaganda tool aimed at undermining Hindu families and labeling them as part of “cultural terrorism.” He also made false claims about Christians targeting Ahmednagar for conversion efforts and stated that the phrase “Allah hu Akbar” was a supremacist statement designed to provoke Hindus. These comments were made during the Ahilyabai Holkar Anniversary celebration, a politically sensitive time during the election period.
As per CJP’s complaint, Chavhanke stated that “Men marry men, male marry male. A woman should marry a woman. Have you heard of LGBTQ? What going on is this? This is disinformation. Why should the family system be broken, while Hinduism and our Hindustan is surviving today beyond the thousand years reckoning of Islam. And if anything, the main reason for its survival is the Hindu family system and the contribution of women to it is the greatest.”
CJP’s complaint emphasized that Chavhanke’s speech not only mischaracterized Muslims, Christians, and LGBTQ+ identities but also promoted dangerous misinformation and hate. By injecting religious intolerance into the political discourse, Chavhanke’s statements violated the MCC’s guidelines, which are meant to ensure free and fair elections. His rhetoric fostered division and fear, equating the survival of Hinduism with the suppression of other communities. CJP called for immediate action, urging the CEO to address this inflammatory speech and its potential impact on the electoral process.
CJP complaint to CEO Maharashtra on November 5, 2024 can be read here
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Karad, Satara [November 8, 2024]
On November 8, 2024, CJP filed another complaint with the CEO Maharashtra regarding the violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by Suresh Chavhanke for his inflammatory remarks delivered at the Janata-NRC event in Karad, Satara, Maharashtra on October 22, 2024. Chavhanke’s speech, marked by Islamophobic and divisive rhetoric, directly contravened the MCC, which is designed to ensure a peaceful, fair, and unbiased electoral process. During his address, Chavhanke made several false and harmful statements, including claiming that Europe would cease to exist in five years due to a Muslim takeover, promoting the baseless conspiracy of ‘love jihad,’ and alleging that India faces a crisis with 10 crore “infiltrators” threatening Hindu culture. He further warned that rising Muslim populations would soon render Hindus a minority, stoking fears of demographic change. Chavhanke also controversially praised Myanmar’s Wirathu for expelling Rohingyas and highlighted the refusal to vaccinate them against COVID-19.
Chavhanke stated in its complaint that “What will be the biggest problem of India at this time out of which Love Jihad, Land Jihad, Waqf Board, Terrorism is the cause of all the problems, if there is any reason, then the growing population of Muslims are in India. You say this is going on with democracy, isn’t it? Democracy has increased it. “But the population ratio kept changing. Pakistan was given in the name of Islam. It’s time to give Pakistan again, many states were given, 9 states, Hindu minority in 2011. Census 2021 has not been done, if it is not done now, there will be minorities in 13 states. In the year 2048, it will become a minority. What is today 2024. After how many years, exactly 24 years. It will be appropriate for everyone sitting here to see 24 years” as per CJP’s complaint to CEO Maharashtra.
CJP’s complaint emphasized that Chavhanke’s statements were not only Islamophobic but also sought to incite religious fear and hatred. By linking the growing Muslim population in India to fabricated threats like “love jihad,” “land jihad,” and terrorism, Chavhanke portrayed Muslims as a threat to the nation’s security and social fabric. His remarks were designed to stoke fear of Muslims “outbreeding” Hindus, furthering the dangerous narrative that India was on the brink of becoming a Muslim-majority state. Through this rhetoric, Chavhanke attempted to polarize voters along religious lines, undermining the democratic process and the integrity of the election.
CJP complaint to CEO Maharashtra on November 8, 2024 can be read here
However, CJP, in its complaints, highlighted a clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and the Representation of the People Act, emphasizing the importance of political parties and candidates refraining from actions that deepen existing divisions or foster animosity between communities. Suresh Chavhanke’s inflammatory rhetoric, which included portraying the religious slogan “Allah hu Akbar” as a threat to other communities and making derogatory remarks against the LGBTQ+ community, sought to incite fear and mobilize support in ways that the MCC explicitly aimed to prevent. These divisive and hate-driven attempts to manipulate the electorate along religious lines directly violated the electoral code and called for immediate legal and electoral intervention. CJP strongly urged the CEO Maharashtra to take cognizance of the enclosed video, register a case against Chavhanke, the event organizers, and all identified perpetrators, and ensure their arrest for cognizable offenses under the relevant sections.
Related:
Suresh Chavhanke: The face of Hate Journalism
CJP moves NCM against Suresh Chavhanke for his Islamophobic remarks
Hate Watch: Suresh Chavkhane asks Muslim women to marry Hindu men