Modi’s speech on Ramzan and Qabristan violates Supreme Court’s January verdict

By
JKR Staff
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4

In an alleged bid to communalise the election campaign in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday invoked religion to seek votes from the state’s electorates.

Stressing that there should be “no discrimination on the basis of caste and religion”, Modi said, “Agar Ramzan mein bijli aati hai, to Diwali me bhi aani chahiye, bhedbhav nahi hona chahiye (If there is electricity during Ramzan, it must also be available during Diwali, there should be no discrimination),” he said.

Modi’s attempts to woo voters in the name of religion didn’t stop at Ramzan and Diwali. He went a step further and said that if there was a kabaristaan (Muslims’ burial place), there should be a shamshaan (cremation ground for Hinus) too.

And Modi’s communal speech, in a blatant contempt of the Supreme Court, did not come in isolation. His close confidante and the BJP’s national president, Amit Shah, too did not appear to care about the apex court’s verdict when he explicitly sought votes by indulging in hatemongering against Muslims in particular.

Speaking in Mathura on 4 February, Shah had told the crowd that his audience did not get laptops from the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav, because of their religion as they were not the vote-bank for the ruling party. (Watch from 30′.30″ onward)

As expected, Modi’s speech evoked angry reactions from his political adversaries and members of civil groups, who felt that the prime minister invoking religion smacked of his fear of losing elections.

Modi’s comments may also be construed as a serious violation of the Supreme Court’s recent verdict that bars political parties and their supporters from seeking votes by invoking religion.

In a majority verdict in early January, the Supreme Court had held that any appeal for votes on ground of religion amounts to corrupt practices under electoral laws.

The apex court had said that the use of religion to seek votes would amount to corrupt practices.

It said, “The appeal by a candidate or his agent or by any other person with the consent of a candidate or his election agent to vote or refrain from voting for any person on the ground of his religion, race, caste, community or language or the use of, or appeal to religious symbols or the use of, or appeal to, national symbols…, for furtherance of the prospects of the election of that candidate or for prejudicially affecting the election of any candidate would amount to corrupt practices.”

Many on social media felt that Modi’s attempts to use religion to seek votes was a sign of his nervousness for his party, the BJP’s poll prospects in the ongoing assembly elections.

Here are some reactions;

 

 

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