Communal inciting statements continue as communal tension has erupted in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi. Swami Adi Yogi, a close associate of Darshan Bharti, who is accused of making communal speeches, has made a communally provocative statement that in 2024, the establishment of Hindu Rashtra will start here in Uttarakhand.
Amid further tension, Hindutva groups had threatened to organize a Mahapanchayat against Muslims on June 15. But the district administration denied permission to the program and imposed a ban.
Speaking to The Wire, Adi Yogi said, “This land belongs to gods, sages and saints. People have come here for their service, but instead of serving, they are eating meat and casting unwanted glances at our daughters,” he alleged.
Asked whether he would boycott Muslims in Uttarakhand, he said, “No, we will not do that. This place is like Mecca for us. Are we allowed to enter Mecca? Similarly, this is our religious constituency, we will rid Uttarakhand of any Jihadi influence by 2024, boycott all non-vegetarian food in the state and close the shops. In 2024, the establishment of Hindu Rashtra will start here.”
Bharti, who has been at the forefront of protests against the Muslim community in Uttarkashi, had earlier said, “We are in touch with every minister in the state. We discussed the issue of ‘Land Jihad’ with Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami and after that discussion he enacted laws on ‘Land Jihad’ as a result of which more than 300 graves were bulldozed.”
Communal attacks have been on the rise since two men – a Muslim and a Hindu – allegedly attempted to abduct a 14-year-old Hindu girl in North Kashi’s Purola area last month. Posters were put up in the town threatening Muslim traders to close their shops. There are approximately 650-700 shops in this market, of which around 30-40 are Muslim shops.
“Love jihadis have been told to vacate the shops before the Mahapanchayat on June 15. If they don’t vacate, there will be consequences. It calls for a ‘campaign for land protection’, reads the poster.
Responding to a petition filed by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), the Uttarakhand High Court ordered the state to maintain law and order and instructed all parties not to discuss the proposed Mahapanchayat on social media.
Recently the Supreme Court directed all states/UTs to register voluntary FIRs against hate speech. However, Muslims in Uttarkashi have been living in fear of losing their livelihood for the past 20 days. There have been allegations that the police are following a policy of delay in the investigation.
