Supreme Court Orders to Stop Delhi Demolition of Muslim Properties
Only a miniscule fraction of Hindus follow Modi’s dirty version of Hinduism which is being promoted under the Hindutva brand of religious fundamentalism.
By Rakesh Raman
The Supreme Court of India has ordered to stop government-backed demolition of Delhi properties which mostly belong to Muslims. An illegal anti-encroachment drive was suddenly launched at the behest of anti-Muslim Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of prime minister (PM) Narendra Modi.
The demolition drive followed recent attacks on Muslims which were labelled as communal clashes in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area where unruly mobs of BJP raised slogans against Muslims.
The demolition coordinated by Delhi Police – which acts like a gang of criminals led by the BJP government – was stopped following today’s (April 20) Supreme Court order.
However, according to an NDTV report, a bulldozer razed structures near the Muslim mosque which was targeted by hooligans (who masquerade as Hindu groups) on April 16. The attack had forced Muslims in the area to defend themselves from the pseudo Hindu thugs and complicit police.
The report adds that even after the court’s order, the demolition continued, as BJP is a lawless political outfit which does not believe in the Indian constitution and the rule of law. [ You can click here to watch a related video. ]
Although the Supreme Court of India does not take any action that may displease Modi or BJP, in this case the Supreme Court – in response to a petition – ordered to stop demolition. Residents said no notice was served to them before destroying their homes and shops. An urgent hearing in this case is scheduled to take place on April 21.
According to the NDTV report, as an excavator came to break the gates of the Muslim mosque and shops near it, lawyer Dushyant Dave complained to the Supreme Court. In response, Chief Justice NV Ramana directed that the court order to stop demolition must be communicated immediately to officials. Although the demolition stopped, the BJP goons will find other ways to persecute Muslims.
Petitioners told the Supreme Court that the state attack on Muslim properties in Delhi followed a familiar pattern in BJP-ruled states such as Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, where one community (Muslim) was targeted with arbitrary demolitions.
Since the attacks on Muslims are increasing rapidly, it is being observed that police are complicit in most crimes against Muslims. A local court in Delhi recently found that the standard of investigation into a large number of 2020 northeast Delhi riots cases is “very poor” as the police did not bother to take the investigation to a logical end after filing half-baked charge sheets.
CALLS FOR GENOCIDE OF MUSLIMS
As the autocratic Modi regime – which wants to make India a Hindu Rashtra (or a country only for Hindus) – is silently supporting attacks on Muslims, people are asking Modi to stop this dangerous trend.
Recently, a group of students and faculty members from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Bangalore and Ahmedabad had urged Modi to speak up against the increasing incidents of hate speeches and communal violence in the country.
According to an NDTV report of January 8, the IIM scholars expressed that Modi’s tacit approval emboldens the hate-filled voices and threatens the unity and integrity of our country. Their letter came as a response to the recent Dharam Sansad (religious parliament) event in Haridwar where some Hindu religious leaders urged people to attack Muslims and called for genocide.
Similarly, a group of advocates of the Supreme Court of India had written a letter to Chief Justice of India NV Ramana with the appeal to take suo motu cognizance of the calls for “ethnic cleansing” at two recent religious events in Delhi and Haridwar.
In their letter, 76 lawyers informed Justice Ramana that between the 17th and 19th of December 2021, at two separate events organized in Delhi and Haridwar, hate speeches including open calls for genocide of Muslims in order to achieve ethnic cleansing, were made. [ You can click here to watch a related video. ]
But Modi did not take any action against the domestic terrorists who operate as Hindu leaders and encouraged by Modi’s BJP for spreading hate and terrorism in the country.
In fact, Modi himself is encouraging hate crimes for gaining political advantage. With his divisive actions, Modi entices Hindu voters by creating an atmosphere of animosity against the minority communities including Muslims and Sikhs so that the majority of Hindus could elect him and his party in elections.
Nearly 80% of people are Hindus in India’s population of 1.4 billion. However, only a miniscule fraction of Hindus follow Modi’s dirty version of Hinduism which is being promoted under the Hindutva brand of religious fundamentalism.
While Modi politicizes religion for electoral gains, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recommended imposing targeted sanctions on individuals and entities responsible for severe violations of religious freedom by freezing those individuals’ or entities’ assets and/or barring their entry into the United States.
The USCIRF report of 2021 says that the U.S. Congress should continue to raise religious freedom concerns in the U.S.-India bilateral relationship and highlight concerns through hearings, briefings, letters, and congressional delegations.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of State in its annual country reports on human rights practices released on April 12, 2022 has reported extreme corruption and human rights violations in India.
By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. He is the founder of a humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society.
