Bisada lynching: Opposition blames BJP for polarization
Family Members of Akhlaq (Photo Credit BBC)
By Abdul Bari Masoud,
New Delhi: Political parties and Muslim groups have condemned the lynching incident of Muslim man and his son in UP’s Bisada village in the strongest possible words as the incident has sparked outrage in the country. They alleged that such incidents are a result of the “climate of hate” propagated under BJP to polarize people and these are bound to increase in the run-up to the Bihar elections. .
A strong mob of 200 persons attacked the residence of Mohammad Akhlaq in Bisada village near Dadri, Uttar Pradesh after an announcement was allegedly made from a temple that a cow has been slaughtered at his house. The mob allegedly beat 50-year-old Akhlaq to death while his son Danish was critically injured in the attack.
Reacting to the gruesome incident, Congress on Wednesday said there are no words to condemn this dastardly act. Briefing the media here, Congress Spokesperson Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi said in the last 15 months since the BJP came to power, communal incidents have been spiraling in the various part of the country. He warned that such incidents have been tarnishing the image of the country in the world.
Taking a dig at the Prime Minister without mentioning his name, Dr Singhvi said the greatest orator of the country has adopted stunning silence on these incidents and saber-rattling from his party members.
“What is most disturbing is the silence at the top, the silence from India’s greatest orator who can have an effect or counter-effect on such tendencies – that silence is absolute eloquent, it is stunning and it is most deplorable”. In response to a question that VHP leader Ashok Singhal has once again raked up the issue of Ram Mandir, and further asked if this will escalate during Bihar Assembly Elections, Dr. Singhvi said he has made the point by reference to this growing ambivalence and climate and he referred to last two weeks only from Ranchi on 16, 17, 26 and 27th September to Gonda in UP to Jamshedpur in July August etc.
“To that the list which can be added is endless – there is Adityanath, Swamy, Sadhvi and there is another statement – the VHP statement – the question is not the manifestations of such people, the question is why is this climate growing so innumerably and immeasurably in less than 15 months, he added. Party spokesperson said such statements reflect a ‘gutter’ level mentality adding that these incidents for whatever weird reasons are bound to increase in the run-up to the Bihar elections.
“This politics of divisiveness, this politics of poison, this politics of mutual hatred and disgust, this politics of trust-deficit , unfortunately there is only one segment in this country who reflects this philosophy, who thinks like this and who has no compulsion or hesitation in trying to en-cash such thoughts and feelings in the run-up to the elections”.
The CPI (M) also condemned the lynching incident demanding the Samajwadi Party government to crack down on those behind the “motivated” attack.
In a statement, CPI (M) said: “The government has to crack down against all those indulging in such communal propaganda. Police must uncover the culprits behind this motivated attack and take firm action to apprehend the guilty and bring them to justice”. It blamed the sustained communal campaign launched by Hindutva outfits against cow slaughter and beef consumption for the horrible incident. It further said the provocative statements being made by Union ministers and various BJP leaders have vitiated the communal atmosphere in the country.
The CPI (M) has urged the people to be vigilant about such provocations and rebuff the designs of those fomenting violence by maintaining communal peace and harmony.
Muslim groups also came down heavily on the BJP government as well as UP’s Akhlesh Singh Yadav government for rising atrocities on the minority comminutes.
All India Milli Council said since the BJP came to power, the country has been pushed into communal cauldron. Council secretary general Dr Manzoor Alam said the brutal lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq in Dadri on the pretext of cow slaughtering and killing a Muslim youth in Maharajganj (Kanpur) by dubbing him a terrorist are the most reprehensible and despicable act. He alleged that there is nexus between BJP and SP for vitiating the communal atmosphere in the country for the petty political gain. He said what happened in Ranchi and other places are a grim reminder that the country is heading toward right-wing extremism and militancy. He asked the National Human Rights Commission, the National Minorities Commission and UP State Minorities commission to probe into the incident.
Jamait-e-Uelma Hind (Mahmood) has demanded an inquiry into the incident. Jamait general secretary and ex MP Maulana Mahmood Madani criticized both BJP and SP for failing to check communal elements. He said after BJP’s coming to power at the Center, a new wave of communal riots has started in the country. He also accused the UP government of not taking any action against culprits of communal violence as the state witnessed an increase in riots since the SP came to power in UP.