Large Scale Mobilisation Meets Hate Speech in North India

Northern India witnessed a series of disturbing incidents on August 2, 2023, as various Hindu organisations organized rallies, raising hateful slogans and inciting tension and fear against minority communities. From Najafgarh, Delhi, to Dehradun, Uttarakhand, and Haryana, the rallies have showcased a concerning rise in communal tensions. Accessed by Sabrang India today on 3rd of August, 2023 from social media, these videos reveal a disturbing trend of sporadic violence across the country. 

In Najafgarh, Delhi, members of the Bajrang Dal organized yet another rally, chanting alarming slogans, “Desh ke gaddaron ko, Goli maro salon ko (shoot the traitors of our country),” along with cries of “Jai Shree Ram.” The people at the rally spoke about protecting ‘Sanatan Dharma’ and engaged in fear mongering. The divisive rhetoric employed by the demonstrators raised apprehensions about the potential for violence and further polarisation in the area.

CJP is dedicated to finding and bringing to light instances of Hate Speech, so that the bigots propagating these venomous ideas can be unmasked and brought to justice. To learn more about our campaign against hate speech, please become a member. To support our initiatives, please donate now!

Moving to Kurukshetra, Haryana, the Samast Hindu Samaj orchestrated a march that caught public attention due to the use of a bulldozer in the procession. Participants in the rally also chanted the same incendiary slogan, “Desh ke gaddaron ko, Goli maro salon ko,” while police vehicles accompanied the march. One particular poster at the rally demanded that people coming from ‘outside’ should fill an ‘Ajnabi Padthaal’ form, further escalating the tensions and anti-Muslim atmosphere currently in the region. A video, subsequently shared by Daily News, provided recorded evidence of the disturbing rally.

Roorkee, Uttarakhand, was also not spared from the divisive atmosphere either. Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad organised a rally in the Civil Lines area, raising derogatory slogans against the Muslim community. The slogan, “Na mullon ka na qazi ka, yeh desh hai Veer Shivaji ka (Roughly translated as: This nation doesn’t belong to Muslims),” highlights the divisive and harmful nature of the rally, fuelling fears of communal disharmony.

In Dehradun, Uttarakhand, too both the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal joined forces to organise another rally that was marked by hate speech targeting Muslims and their faith. One leader spoke virulently claiming the suppression and murder of Hindus had long occurred, and he continued, “Now the ‘fundamentalists’ from mosques are scared since the Hindu has awakened.” The footage shared on social media by Hindutva Watch showcased the alarmingly violent rhetoric used during the rally.

Adding to the concerns was an incident reported at Karnal Committee Chowk in Meerut, where Bajrang Dal members took out a rally shouting the slogan “Jai Shri Ram”. They took the rally without police permission. The demonstrators clashed with the police personnel, attempting to enter a Muslim area. The rally was seemed to be increasing the sense of fear unrest and threat of riots, raising significant alarms about the potential for violence and community disharmony.

In Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, VHP members organised a rally that resounded with hateful slogans, “Desh ke gaddaron ko, Goli maro salon ko (shoot the traitors of our country).” The demonstration echoed similar rallies held in other regions, expressing a concerning rise in divisive rhetoric aimed at sowing seeds of discord and hostility.

Meanwhile, in Jind, Haryana, Monu Manesar’s Guru & Gau Raksha Dal Haryana President Acharya Yogendra Maharaj led a massive rally that sent shockwaves through the community. The demonstrators chanted provocative slogans that called for violence against Muslims, with one particularly distressing slogan, “Jab Mulle kate jayenge, Ram Ram Chilayenge (When Muslims would be chopped, they would cry Ram Ram).” Such explicit calls for violence and hatred only add to the growing communal tensions in the region.

The escalating incidents in Northern India amidst the violence and attacks on Muslims in Haryana have drawn widespread condemnation from various quarters, calling for immediate action to quell the rising communal tensions. While local authorities in Haryana have implemented an internet ban, these rallies continued to take place yesterday. 

Image Courtesy: nationalheraldindia.com

Related 

Nuh Haryana: Who cast the first stone?

Maharashtra: Sakal Hindi Samaj allows hate speech to go unchecked

Nuh Clashes planned and coordinated, more such violence likely before 2024 Polls: Satyapal Malik

When I hear bloodthirsty slogans of ‘Jai Sri Ram,’ I remember Fr Camille’s ‘Ram Katha’