Voices have begun to be raised at a series of lynching incidents and bulldozer actions since the declaration of general election results on June 4. Leading Muslim bodies, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind have expressed concern at rise in targeted hate violence, including lynching following unproven allegations of cow slaughter. They have sought a statement from the Home Minister besides special laws to tackle the menace.
The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has expressed “great concern over a disturbing rise in communal violence, lynching incidents, and demolitions across various regions of the country after the Lok Sabha elections”.
“It has been almost a month since the BJP-led NDA government was formed and it appears that it is oblivious of its core responsibility of ensuring the safety and security of all its citizens,” the Jamaat’s vice president Salim Engineer said. He shared with the media a report prepared by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) that tracked the unjust targeting of the Muslim community post-election. According to APCR report, there have been ten lynching incidents between June 7 and July 5 with cases being reported from Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and West Bengal besides communal violence in Telangana, Odisha, and Rajasthan. There have been targeted bulldozer actions in Madhya Pradesh and U.P. besides forced evictions following attacks on Muslim establishments in Himachal Pradesh. In many cases, despite the registration of First Information Reports, no arrests have yet been made.
The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has demanded an immediate end to communal targeting of Muslims. “The government must take a firm stand against these heinous acts of violence and ensure the safety and security of every citizen. We demand strict implementation of the clause within the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023 that prescribes severe punishment for mob lynching, extending from life imprisonment to death,” Mr. Salim Engineer said. He sought a statement by the Home Minister on the subject. Incidentally, Mr. Amit Shah had promised immediate action in lynching cases in his meeting with a Muslim delegation a little before the Lok Sabha election.
On the same lines, Arshad Madani, president, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, said, “Mob lynching is a cruel form of violence. We have been demanding a strict law to prevent this for a long time, the Supreme Court has also expressed its displeasure on this, and has given strict instructions to the Centre to prevent it. But there has been no serious attempt to stop this monstrous series of violence on the basis of religion.”
Mr. Madani drew attention to lynching incidents in Odisha and Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, and appealed to the Opposition leaders to pressure the government to bring a strict law to prevent such violence. “We are happy that Mr. Rahul Gandhi, in his first speech in Parliament as Leader of the Opposition, raised a voice against violence and hatred. We hope that following Mr. Gandhi, other Opposition leaders will also raise their voice in Parliament against the violence, hatred and injustice,” Mr. Madani said.
Close on the heels of his statement, the Jamiat’s governing council called for steps to end Islamophobia. The council sought a revival of the National Foundation for Communal Harmony and the National Integration Council. “These bodies should spearhead programs focused on coexistence, including joint meetings and conferences with influential leaders from all faiths,” a Jamiat spokesman said.
