Thousands Voice Against Hindutva Leader's Call For A 'Muslim Genocide'

Social media broke into a frenzy after the speech of Yati Narsinghanand, a staunch Hindutva leader who called for a 'cleanliness drive' against Muslims, went viral. People with verified accounts on Twitter, the public and several political leaders condemned the call for targeting minority communities in the country. The 'Dharma Sansad' event was organized by the Hindutva leader from December 17 to December 19 in Haridwar.

Another prominent leader who spoke his views was Swami Prabodhanand Giri, the President of Hindu Raksha Sena, a right-wing organization based in Uttarakhand.

Social Media Trolls

People have condemned the venom spewed by the religious leaders and called for action against the preparators. The concerning factor is that the religious leaders have deep ties with the ruling party at the centre. People have mocked the administration on Twitter, comparing the incident with that of comedian Munawar Faruqi, in which the latter was arrested before his event. Speeches and events like 'Dharma Sansad', which are organized to spread hate speech and widen the differences between several religious groups, are already leading the country on a downward spiral.

Trinamool Congress leader and RTI activist Saket Gokhale have filed a complaint against the organisers and speakers at the three-day Dharma Sansad. Moreover, "It was a three-day event and I was there for one day, during which I was on the stage for around 30 minutes and talked about the Constitution. What others said before and after me, I am not responsible for it," Ex-Delhi BJP spokesperson Ashwini Upadhyay said, The Indian Express reported.

Percentage Of Minorities In India

A study by researchers from IIT-Kharagpur and MIT Institute of Data, Systems and Society, US, suggests Indian WhatsApp users are using fear speech to incite readers against targeted sections. For a long time, diverse religious practices have been associated with India. The country is home to Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jain and Zoroastrians (Parsis) have been notified as minority communities under Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992. As per the Census 2011, the percentage of minorities in the country is about 19.3 per cent of the country's total population. The population of Muslims are 14.2per cent; Christians 2.3per cent; Sikhs 1.7per cent, Buddhists 0.7per cent, Jain 0.4 per cent and Parsis 0.006per cent.

Also Read: Alarming! Hindu Right-Wing Leaders Call For Mass Genocide Of Muslims At Haridwar Hate Speech Summit