Such irresponsible and malicious comment, if actually has been made, is really condemnable and amounts to creating animosities between communities.
First, of course, the veracity of the comment needs be established beyond reasonable doubts. All hate mongers, regardless of religious identities - whether Togadia or Owassi or whoever, need be proceeded against strictly as per the provisions of the laws of the land. Sukla On 22/09/2014, Feroze Mithiborwala <[email protected]> wrote: > VHP is angry over an interview given by Maulana Medhdi Hasan to a local > Gujarati newspaper in which he is quoted as saying that Navratri is > the *"festival > of devils as rapists and drunkards use to participate in it".* The > interview was published yesterday. - See more at: > http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/gujarat-vhp-seeks-muslim-clerics-arrest-for-comments-on-navratri/#sthash.9A41W35d.dpuf > ========================= > PTI <http://indianexpress.com/agency/pti-5/> | Ahmedabad | Posted: > September 21, 2014 10:04 pm > > Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Sunday took strong objection to what it termed as > "provocative" remarks on Navratri festival by Maulana Mehdi Hasan, saying > it is a deliberate attempt to "malign" Hinduism and demanded his arrest. > > VHP has also called for a statewide movement in Gujarat to bar Muslim > youths from entering venues for 'garba', a traditional dance performed > during the festival in praise of goddess Durga, to prevent incidents of > "eve teasing". > > Hasan, a resident of Rustampura in Thasra taluka of Kheda district, had > shot into limelight when he tried to put a skull cap on then chief minister > Narandra Modi's head during the latter's Sadbhavna fast in 2011. > > VHP is angry over an interview given by Hasan to a local Gujarati newspaper > in which he is quoted as saying that Navratri is the "festival of devils as > rapists and drunkards use to participate in it". The interview was > published yesterday. > > Addressing reporters here, the general secretary of VHP's city unit > Ranchhod Bharwad said that Hasan's remarks are a deliberate attempt to > malign Hinduism. > > "When just a few days are left for Navratri to begin, the Maulana said that > it is not a religious festival and further added that it is a festival of > Rakshash (devils). This is a conspiracy to defame Hindus. This is an > attempt to disturb harmony and peace in Gujarat," Bharwad told reporters at > a press conference here today. > > When contacted, Hasan told PTI that his remarks were taken out of context > and rather he wants Hindus to "keep such elements away from the festival to > keep its sanctity". > > Bharwad also threatened to launch a statewide agitation if Hasan is not > arrested by police. > > When asked if VHP or any other organisation has filed any FIR in this > regard, Bharwad said that police have taken their application. > > He was referring to an application given to Dariyapur police station in the > city by a local Shiv Sena leader Jitu Solanki today. > > Solanki has reportedly asked police to arrest Hasan for allegedly creating > enmity between two communities by making such remarks about Hindu gods and > festivals. > > When contacted, inspector V N Yadav of Dariyapur police station told PTI > that police are looking into the matter, but refused to elaborate. > > Meanwhile, Hasan told PTI that his comments were taken out of context. > > "I said those words with a particular reference. Devils means those who are > drunkards and rapists, not everyone who enjoys that festival. I am a Sufi > who believes in bringing peace among communities. I actually drew attention > of Hindus to keep such elements away from such religious festivals to > restore the sanctity. But my views were taken otherwise," he said over > phone. > > Bharwad further said that VHP was not going to tolerate such derogatory > remarks on Hindu festivals. > > "We have asked government to arrest him (Hasan) before Navratri, or else, > VHP and Bajrang Dal will gherao him at his residence," said Bharwad, > flanked by Akhileshwardas Maharaj, a member of VHP's Central Advisory > Committee, at the presser. > > Akhileshwardas said that VHP will take the matter into its hands and "teach > Maulana a lesson if police failed to act swiftly". > > "If police *continued...* > 2 Google +0 > - See more at: > http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/gujarat-vhp-seeks-muslim-clerics-arrest-for-comments-on-navratri/#sthash.9A41W35d.dpuf > -- > Feroze Mithiborwala > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Peace Mumbai" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/peace-mumbai. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
