A public relations officer of the Jammu wing of the Defense Ministry had deleted a tweet, which said that the Indian army had organized an Iftar for local Muslims in Doda after Suresh Chavhanke, the head of Sudarshan News Channel, condemned the army’s secular stand.
In a tweet on April 21, the PRO, said, “Keeping alive the traditions of #Secularism, an Iftar was organized by #IndianArmy at Arnora in #Doda district(in) Ramzan.”
Pictures of local Muslims from the district breaking their fast at an army facility with locally deployed officers at a feast organized by the Indian Army were also shared.
The tweet was deleted a day after, Chavhanke, who had previously made controversial statements at the Hindu Yuva Vahini event, making open calls for the establishment of a Hindu Rashtra, quoted a tweet of the PRO saying, “Now this disease has also plagued the Indian Army? miserable!”
His tweet had received more than 8000 likes and 3000 retweets, with many right-wing people criticizing the PRO’s post.
Earlier on Friday, the Supreme Court had expressed its dissatisfaction at an affidavit filed by the Delhi Police which stated that there was no instance of any hate speech against the Muslim community at the Hindu Yuva Vahini event held in Delhi in December 2021.
Journalist Qurban Ali and advocate Anjana Prakash had filed a PIL seeking action against the right-wing event and “hate speech” at the Dharma Sansad held in Uttrakhand’s Haridwar.
The court asked the Delhi police to file a “better affidavit” as it had submitted that the Chavhanke’s speech was not hate speech as no words were used in the speech.
During the event, the Sudarshan TV editor urged people to provocative oaths saying they will make India a “Hindu Rashtra”. “We shall fight for it, die and kill if necessary to do so.”
