Maha: Citizen bodies claim 'hate' speeches made at conclave in Thane, demand police action

Thane: A group of citizens and organisations have claimed that communal and "hate spewing" speeches were made at a conclave organised by a right wing outfit in Maharashtra's Thane district last month and complained to police seeking action against the speakers.

A memorandum dated May 5 and submitted by the group to the Thane police commissioner took a dim view of the event organised in Mumbra area here by the Sakal Hindu Samaj on April 30.

It said many speakers were seen participating in the event, espousing a hard, right-wing, exclusionist ideology and delivering "incendiary and inciteful" speeches through which they specifically targeted Muslim citizens and the community.

A total of five speakers were heard delivering "anti-Muslim" speeches, videos of which have gone viral, said the memorandum submitted by organisations including the National Alliance for People's Movements and the Citizens for Justice and Peace Mumbai.

It claimed the speakers made "misinformed and offensive" claims against the minority community, its history and their culture.

"We would like to bring your attention to these instigating speeches, urging you to take stringent action against the perpetrators, as if these hate-driven speeches are left unchecked, the peace and harmony of our country will be affected direly," the memorandum said.

The organisations said they were also "generally concerned about the overall unsafe atmosphere for the Muslim community that is being generated through the systemic and perpetrated use of hate speech and writings within the country." As citizens and civil rights groups, committed to maintaining harmony and social peace, we therefore urge that adequate preventive action is taken under the law, it said.

"We are relying on the recent Supreme Court's order of April 28 and February 3, and other orders on the issue of hate speech, the history and politics of the people attached to this organisation, and the communally divisive issues that Sakal Hindu Samaj advocates for," the memorandum said.

Such gatherings where "inegalitarian, divisive and stigmatising words" are uttered and mobs provoked, violate the fundamental rights guaranteed to all Indians under the Constitution and are in violation of provisions of the Indian criminal law, it said.

In case of such speeches, wherein religious minorities of the country are being attacked and sentiments that have the potential to disrupt social peace and cause violence and harm to marginalised sections, the police need to act promptly, it said.

A sense of anger and fear are both being provoked by the Sakal Hindu Samaj, the memorandum claimed.

It urged the Thane police chief to take cognisance of videos of the event, register a case against the perpetrators identified and arrest them for cognisable offences.