Editorial for Asia Post
Anti -Muslim Outbursts In Indian Politics : Old Indian Disease
AFP has reported from Delhi Mr Barun Gandhi of Nehru-Gandhi political
dynasty was arrested Saturday after TV footage showed him apparently
making a virulently anti-Muslim speech while campaigning for India's
elections. Varun Gandhi, great-grandson of India's first premier
Jawaharlal Nehru, was taken into custody in Uttar Pradesh state
following accusations he made a speech earlier this month whipping up
religious hatred .'I am ready to go to jail,' said Gandhi, 29, a
candidate for the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, as TV
reports showed him surrounded by a sea of saffron-flag waving supporters
before his arrest. Saffron is the colour associated with Hinduism and
the BJP in India. Gandhi's arrest in the constituency of Pilibhit where
he is making his debut run for parliament sparked clashes between police
and stone-hurling supporters.He has been at the centre of a political
storm since cameras filmed him allegedly telling a rally the BJP would
'cut the heads of Muslims' and comparing a rival Muslim candidate to
al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Gandhi, dubbed the BJP's new 'saffron
hero' by the media, has denied making anti-Muslim statements, saying the
tapes were doctored. But India's Election Commission has said he should
face criminal charges and it is up to him to prove any tampering.
The controversy has fuelled speculation the BJP may seek to stoke
religious tensions in the officially secular country of 1.1 billion to
appeal to the majority Hindu vote in elections to be held between April
16 and May 13. The ruling Congress party, which is fighting for
re-election, denounced Gandhi's actions as 'a cheap political stunt' and
said it showed the BJP was bent on 'polarising society' along religious
lines. 'The people of this country are inherently secular and will
reject this,' Congress spokesman Manish Tewari told India's NDTV
network.
We feel that it is an extremely bad case of dangerous political
propaganda. It is utterly reckless to call for cutting of Muslim heads.
The case is apparently un-assailable as so many TV channels video record
can not be false. However the court will ultimately decide. We know that
India is officially secular but in truth all the major parties have been
communal, some more , some less. The number of riots in India had been
going on for a long time, the number of riots under Congress had in fact
been more. The percentage of Muslims in services compared to their
number is dismally low.The historic Babri Masjid was demolished under
the Congress rule. BJP is indeed violently communal. Be that as it may,
we could not think of such a speech from a person of Nehru family. We
hope this case will be a good lesson for the anti-Muslim forces. No
political party in Bangladesh, whether left or right or Islamic party
uses such language. All Bangladeshi parties are same in this regard.
