MoS Katheria says ‘we’ve to show our strength’
AMN
Union Minister of State for Human Resource and Development (HRD) Ram Shankar Katheria today drew the ire of opposition parties for hi reported remarks against Muslims at a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) event in Agra. Minister desribeed Muslims as ‘Rakshasas’ and were warned of a ‘final battle’.
According the Indian Express minister equated Muslim to “demons” and “descendants of Ravana”, and warned of a “final battle”, as the Sangh Parivar Sunday held a condolence meeting for VHP worker Arun Mahaur, who was killed last week by some Muslim youths.
Among those present on the dais were Union Minister of State, HRD, and BJP Agra MP Ram Shankar Katheria as well as the BJP’s Fatehpur Sikri MP Babu Lal, apart from other party local leaders, who joined in the threats to Muslims.Speaker after speaker urged Hindus to “corner Muslims and destroy the demons”, while declaring that “all preparations” had been made to effect “revenge” before 13th-day death rituals for Mahaur.
“Human skulls would be offered to his martyrdom,” VHP district secretary Ashok Lavania, who has been jailed earlier for assaults on Muslims, said.Talking about the coming Assembly elections in UP, local BJP MLA Jagan Prasad Garg told the crowd, “You will have to fire bullets, you will have to take up rifles, you will have to wield knives. Elections are approaching in 2017,begin showing your strength from now onwards.” The 5,000-odd crowd chanted slogans such as “the Hindu who doesn’t get angry isn’t Hindu enough)”. Beginning his speech by lamenting that “a man returning after offering his prayers” had been killed, Katheria said,“We have to make ourselves powerful.
We have to launch a struggle. If we don’t begin a struggle,then today we have lost an Arun, tomorrow we will lose another.Before another is lost, we must show such strength that these killers themselves disappear.” MP Babulal urged an open fight with Muslims, and said: “Don’t try to test us…We will not tolerate insults to the community. We do not want unrest at any cost, but if you want to test Hindus, then let’s decide a date and take on Muslims.”BJP leader Kundanika Sharma called other parties “jackals” for seeking votes of “traitors”. “But we want the heads of these traitors, killers of Arun Mahaur,” she said.“This is not the time to sit quiet. wear burqas, but corner them. Behead 10 heads for one head.”
Agra has been on the boil ever since Arun Mahaur, a koli businessman and a local VHP office-bearer, was shot dead in the City last Thursday. Though police arrested five accused on charges of murder and rioting, the VHP and BJP are using the incident to rake Hindu sentiment and target the Samajwadi Party government for its “appeasement” of Muslims. The five accused belong to the minority community.
On Sunday, in a condolence meet attended by senior VHP and BJP leaders, including Surendra Jain and Ram Shankar Katheria (Minister of State in Modi government), violent references were allegedly made to Muslims, with many speakers comparing them to “rakshashas” or demons.
Mr. Katheria, Agra MP, reportedly urged Hindus to “make ourselves powerful” and to “launch a struggle.”