BJP’s anti – Muslim drive
The increasing incidents of harassing and humiliating Muslims across India, forcing Muslims to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans to the mob lynching has become ‘a new normal’ in India. Under the patronization of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, different schemes to target the minorities in general and Muslims, in particular, were executed, however, he neither ceased nor condemned barbaric incidents against Muslims ever.
In its latest evil design, an anti-encroachment drive has been launched at Jahangirpuri, New Delhi by BJP to suppress the already repressed Muslim community. The move comes right after the communal violence in the same area a few days ago aimed to teach a lesson to Muslims about defending themselves against Hindu terrorists. As evident, the anti-encroachment drive is part of the ongoing anti-Muslim drive of the extremist Hindu government to push Muslims out of India or convert them to Hinduism forcefully.
Bulldozing the shops of Muslims in Jahangirpuri was started by North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) after the letter of BJP’s New Delhi Chief Adesh Gupta to the Mayor of Civic Body Raja Iqbal Singh. Reportedly in the letter, Mayor was ordered to take punitive action against those who were arrested in Jahangirpuri violence. BJP won’t tolerate the resistance of Muslims against Hindus’ ferocity and BJP’s ambition.
Firstly, if the initiative against the constructions in Jahangirpuri was rooted in the illegality of buildings it had been kicked up by the NDMC Mayor with proper workout and procedure. Secondly, victims were neither communicated verbally nor notices were issued to them as the mayor had to prove his loyalty to his masters and in hustle initiated a dangerous crackdown under the cover of an anti-encroachment drive.
In the first place, the ‘life-dependent businesses’ of Muslims were demolished and the structures around the mosque were grounded where communal violence had erupted. The mayor violated the law for which he certainly will not be made accountable as Hindus take actions against Muslims with impunity.
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind filed a plea in Supreme Court (SC) against the barbaric drive sponsored by the Indian state against its own Muslim population. The SC, unlike its earlier standing and verdicts, issued a stay order to halt the demolition process, however, the reversal of ‘temporary stay’ cannot be ruled out by looking into the notorious history of the Indian judiciary against Muslims. Despite the orders of the SC, the devastation of Muslim businesses continued under the shameful argument of NDMC for not receiving the orders.
BJP, unlike its earlier policy to unleash the terrorists of RSS and other terror outfits deliberately targeted Muslim shops to cripple them economically as injuring and even killing Muslims were not enough to extinguish its anti-Muslim hatred. In many earlier incidents, Muslims either escaped or tolerated the brutalities of Hindu terrorists, however, now they gathered the courage to repulse the attack.
Opposition parties also criticized BJP’s selective operation. Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader while criticizing the anti-encroachment operation said that “This is demolition of India’s constitutional values. This is state-sponsored targeting of the poor and minorities. BJP must bulldoze the hatred in their hearts instead,” Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) leader Brinda Karat visited Jahangirpuri and held a protest. The deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia suggested that “the only way to end hooliganism in the country was to bulldoze the BJP headquarters.”
An anti-encroachment drive is rooted in the communal violence that erupted on 16 Apr in Jahangirpuri during the Hindus procession on the event of Hanuman Jayanti. The Hindu terrorists along with saffron flags and dresses and weapons including knives, swords, and pistols raised anti-Muslim slogans and attempted to attack the mosque, nevertheless, Jahangirpuri is a Muslim majority area where Muslims repulsed the attack. Nine people were injured in the communal violence. Police following its tradition of protecting Hindu fanatics arrested most of the Muslims.
Later, Special Commissioner of Delhi Police Depender Pathak while taking the side of Hindu radicals announced that communal violence was not pre-planned, however, his claim raises serious questions about the competence of New Delhi police and security agencies because the violence against Muslims was expected as the Hindus are being continuously charged by BJP which has created an anti-Muslim environment in Indian society. Secondly, Hindu militants were openly holding weapons in their hands but not the flowers, so the possible attack was fathomable even to the blind.
According to Depender Pathak, the Hanuman Jayanti procession did not have the permission to take a route alongside the mosque in Jahangirpuri, if his statement is believed to be true; he admits the failure of police and security agencies for not getting the earlier information or they were complicit in the violence against Muslims.
Anti-encroachment drive after communal violence in Delhi was not a coincidence rather both moves were pre-planned by BJP to continue its wicked anti-Muslim policy irrespective of its repercussions of destroying society’s fabric and global defamation, however, the response of Muslims seems a bit different who possibly first time stand against Hindu terror.
The writer is an Islamabad-based researcher, freelance journalist, and security analyst with a wide focus on regional affairs. He can be reached at: saleembaripatujo@gmail.com
