Karnataka State BJP Officials Continue Anti-Muslim Rhetoric , Justify Bigoted Policies
Officials of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Karnataka state government have continued to engage in hate speech as anti-Muslim hatred skyrockets throughout the state.
Home Minister Araga Jnanendra bashed and gaslit Muslim students for continuing to protest the High Court’s discriminatory and unconstitutional ban on hijabs in schools, saying that they should face retribution for their dissent.
“Those who do not respect the Indian Constitution and say that the court verdict is not applicable to them should be taught a lesson,” he said.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai claimed that the aggressive campaign by Hindu extremist groups to ban the sale of halal meat is not a law and order issue, but a “social issue” based on “beliefs.”
His dismissal of the economic chokehold placed on Muslim vendors was in reponse to a tweet by Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chief of Biocon, India’s largest biopharmaceutical company.
“Karnataka has always forged inclusive economic development and we must not allow such communal exclusion- If [Karnataka] became communal it would destroy our global leadership. @BSBommai please resolve this growing religious divide,” she said.
Meanwhile, a probe has been ordered into Rural Development Minister K. S. Eshwarappa for spewing inflammatory anti-Muslim conspiracy theories after the death of Harsha, a Hindu extremist member of the Bajrang Dal.
“The people of areas around the place where the murder took place have said that some Muslim miscreants arrived in a car, stabbed Harsha, and fled,” he had said, although the police probe indicated local gang rivalry.
A special court ordered the probe after police in Shivamogga, where a Muslim area was stormed by hundreds of Hindu extremists in “revenge,” took no action against Eshwarappa for inciting mob violence with his hate speech.
Hindu Religious Teacher Justifies Anti-Muslim Discrimination By Saying Hindus Have Faced Injustice
Vishwesha Teertha Swamiji, a Hindu religious teacher from the renowned temple Pejawar Math, justified the outrageous levels of discrimination against Muslim businesspeople in Karnataka state by claiming that the hateful policies were a result of injustice against Hindus. His condoning of the anti-Muslim discrimination was in response to Muslim leaders asking him not to uphold the policy imposed by the BJP banning Muslim traders from setting up shop around Hindu temples and at non-religious festivals.
“The Hindu society has suffered a lot in the past. People are extremely hurt due to some unpleasant events,” Teertha said. “Injustice leads to anger and if it goes to the extreme level then it explodes. This is what we are witnessing in our society today.”
He added that people should “understand how much Hindus have suffered,” claiming “that pain has to be addressed first.”
Teertha’s remarks contribute to the Hindu extremist narrative that Muslims are the reason for all problems faced by Hindus, and somehow deserve to be punished for offenses they personally took no part in.
Muslim Qawwali Singer Booked For Critical Remarks on PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Yogi Adityanath
Nawaz Sharif, a qawwali singer from Uttar Pradesh state, was booked for making critical remarks against PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
In a video, Sharif was recorded as saying, “Modi, Yogi and Shah say they are there. But who are they? If a patron of the poor wishes, it won’t be known where India existed.”
His remarks were innocuous and nowhere near as inflammatory as hate speeches given by several BJP politicians throughout the state election campaign, during which Muslims were referred to as criminals and terrorists. Still, Sharif was booked for “statements conducing to public mischief,” “provocation with intent to cause riot,” and “deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person.”
Additional Superintendent of Police Shiv Kumar Verma also stated that a police team had been dispatched to arrest Sharif, revealing how Hindu supremacists who make hate speeches are given excuses, while Muslims who express dissent are treated as enemies of the state.
Pharmaceutical Company Faces Boycott On Twitter Over Halal Products
Adding to the growing Islamophobia that has engulfed Karnataka state in recent months, Hindu extremists have now targeted Himalaya Drug Company with the hashtag #boycotthimalaya after it was found to have halal certification.
This comes amidst almost daily instances of Karnataka reporting cases of anti-Muslim hate and bigotry. This week, there have been at least two instances wherein Muslim traders were boycotted in various parts of Karnataka.
The Company faced the brunt of right-wing trolls after a picture of its policy on Halal certification was put up online by Hindutva groups which have been calling for a ban on halal meat in Karnataka.
Himalaya’s Halal Policy states, “Our products comply with Islamic Law/Shariah and free from any forbidden ingredients under Islamic law”.
It further states, “We have set up the Internal Halal Management Team comprising of senior executives (including Muslim) from various disciplines to be responsible for all matters pertaining to Halal certification”.
This led to certain Hindutva groups demanding a ban on Himalaya products and thus the trend #boycotthimalaya began. Many netizens also supported this trend, calling for a total boycott of the products.
