Communal Venom Unleashed: Is This What Did the BJP In?

NEW DELHI: The Citizen has put together some of the statements made publicly, mostly while addressing rallies, by BJP leaders since April this year. These have been compiled by a diligent group of researchers from the media with just a sampling of the less provocative comments being reproduced below:

April , 2014

To the villages of Muzaffarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh:

“This election is about voting out the government that protects and gives compensation to those who killed Jats. It is about badla and protecting izzat”: Amit Shah, President, Bharatiya Janata Party

“A man can sleep hungry but not humiliated. This is the time to take revenge by voting for Modi”: Amit Shah

Outside the house of a Muslim businessman in Bhavnagar, Gujarat who was given 48 hours by VHP, Bajrang Dal activists to move out of his house:

“ Muslims should not be allowed to buy property in Hindu areas”: Praveen Togadia, Vishwa Hindu Parishad

At an election meeting in Deogarh, Bihar:

“Those opposing Narendra Modi are looking at Pakistan and such people will have place in Pakistan and not India”: Giriraj Singh, BJP

“Those who have united in Bihar and the country to stop Narendra Modi from becoming Prime Minister are pro-Pakistan. They have no right to live in India”: Giriraj Singh

May, 2014.

“Azamgarh is the base of terrorists are there is no fear of the government which is advocating their release”: Amit Shah

“ The accused in Gujarat bomb blasts are from Azamgarh. Being the home minister there (Gujarat) have got the accused arrested. Since then not a single terrorist act has taken place in Gujarat”: Amit Shah.

“Since terrorism is a matter relating to the country and not to a community, why do secular leaders remain silent when all persons arrested for terrorism cases belong to a similar community”: Giriraj Singh.

June, 2014.

“People must remain aware and watchful about the spread of these seeds of Christianity. The followers of any religion, including the Hindus and others must weed out Christianity”: Prahlad Remani, BJP.

August, 2014

“Hindustan is a Hindu nation. Hindutva is the identity of our nation and it (Hinduism) can incorporate other (religions) in itself”: Mohan Bhagwat, RSS

“If inhabitants of England are English, Germany are Germans and USA are Americans then why all inhabitants of Hindustan are not know as Hindus”: Mohan Bhagwat

September, 2014

“Youth from a particular community are involved in eve teasing Hindu girls. The situation is so bad that girls cannot move out freely. Such incidents are on the rise”: Sangeet Singh Som, BJP, Uttar Pradesh

“Love jihad is being done in a planned manner with the involvement of terror outfits”: Sangeet Singh Som

“Ram is a symbol of Indian nationalism; those who believe in Ram want Ram Rajya”: Adityanath, BJP, UP

“Jihad in the name of love is unacceptable; stop forceful conversion of Hindu girls; love jihad is a national and social problem”: Adityanath

“If they (Muslim youth) want to take part in the (garba) festival they should first convert to Hinduism. Muslim youths hoodwink the organisers by sporting tilak on their forehead and get inside the venue to mingle with Hindu girls. am going to write to the organisers to insist on electoral identity cards for men and allow only Hindu men inside the venue”: Usha Thakur, BJP, Madhya Pradesh