Muslims Protest In Masses Against BJP Spokesperson’s Hateful Comments About Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
Muslims took to the street across India in massive protests against the hateful remarks of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). In New Delhi, Telangana, Kashmir, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and West Bengal states, protesting Muslims called for Sharma’s arrest as well as the end of anti-Muslim hate speech.
“Anti-Kashmir and anti-Muslim measures are a hallmark of this central rule… to appease their constituency across India, these people [are] using derogatory language against Islam and the holy Prophet,” said Kashmiri politician Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who heads the All Parties Hurriyat Conference.
However, police, who often stand by idly when Hindu supremacist mobs rampage through Muslims, have used force against Muslims to drive protestors off the streets. Kashmiris were subjected to yet another internet blackout in the Srinagar district to quash dissent. In Telangana and Jharkhand, police charged at the crowds of protestors with sticks and batons, while over 109 people were arrested in Uttar Pradesh during the protests.
Top Indian Rights Organizations Say Hindu Extremists Responsible For Violence In Kanpur For Which Muslims Have Been Arrested
Over 50 people, mainly Muslims, have been arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur city amid reports of wanton arrests and anti-Muslim police brutality in the aftermath of a bout of communal violence. What began as a protest against the hateful remarks of Nupur Sharma against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) turned into riots due to the “criminal” behavior of Hindu extremist police, reported a coalition of civil rights bodies.
The coalition, made up of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), the Rihai Manch, and the All India Lawyers Council (AILC), jointly declared that Hindu supremacist police engaged in rioting and called for an investigative probe.
“The criminal role of police converted a protest, which was held to demand action against BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, into Hindu-Muslim tension. The police were seen with rioters,” the organizations said in a statement.
The families of those who have been arrested have reported that Muslim men are being locked up with little to no evidence of being involved in the violence.
“Muslims are being punished in India every single day. This was an attempt to scare us, target us and show us our place yet again… If it was a riot then why are people from just one side being targeted?” said Rihana, a Muslim resident whose nephew was picked up by police despite having no connection to the violence.
India’s Most Prominent Muslim Parliamentarian, Asaduddin Owaisi, Falsely Charged For Hate Speech On Twitter That He Did Not Make
Caving to pressure from Hindu supremacists, Delhi police filed a police report against Asaduddin Owaisi, a Member of Indian Parliament and the most prominent political Muslim face in India, for allegedly making a hate speech. However, the police report itself fails to mention the crime or any remarks that could qualify as hate speech.
“Imagine an FIR about a murder where cops don’t mention the weapon or that the victim bled to death… In my case FIR isn’t even saying what was offensive,” Owaisi wrote on Twitter. Owaisi is the head of decades-old All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) party.
Owaisi pointed out the double standard in India’s justice system, which has repeatedly allowed Hindu supremacists to walk free for inciting violence and supporting genocide.
“Delhi Police lacks the courage to pursue cases against Yati [Narsinghanand], Nupur Sharma, and Naveen Jindal,” Owaisi wrote. “[They] were probably trying to think of a way of registering an FIR against these people without offending Hindutvadi fanboys.”
Nupur Sharma, the now-suspended spokesperson of the BJP, has sparked international outrage after making offensive statements about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Naveen Jindal, the former BJP media head, was also expelled from the party after tweeting hateful remarks about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) shortly after Sharma’s controversy. Yati Narsinghanand, a Hindu supremacist leader who has been arrested for hate speech before, continues to walk free despite violating his bail conditions by repeatedly inciting violence and genocide against Muslims.
Owaisi added, “One side has openly insulted our Prophet while the other side has been named to assuage BJP supporters & make it look like there was hate speech on both sides.”
BJP Leader Says India Belongs To Hindus
Amid the international outcry condemning the hateful remarks of Nupur Sharma against Prophet Muhammad, BJP leader Sadhvi Pragya came out in support of Sharma by declaring that India belongs to Hindus.
“India belongs to Hindus and Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism) will stay here,” Pragya told reporters in a viral video clip.
