Our Correspondent /
NEW DELHI / India’s prominent Muslim organization, the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has expressed deep shock and surprise over clean chit given to union minister and others for making provocative and communally polarizing speeches in Agra and other places.
“It is very shocking and surprising that such hate speeches are given a clean chit by the Home Minister of the country and no action is taken against the offenders either by the state or central government” said Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari, the chief of the Jamaat,
Talking to media here today he said that government gave an impression that it was soft towards people who want to propagate hate and violence. “Jamaat feels that this policy of communal polarization is being promoted deliberately with an eye on the forthcoming assembly elections” he stressed.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Thursday rejected the Opposition demand to sack Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Ram Shankar Katheria, and slap sedition charges against him for an alleged hate speech in Agra.
Rajnath Singh said Katheria had not said anything “objectionable” and media reports appeared to be “distorted and incorrect”.
Jamaat appealed people of India not to fall prey to the provocations of these hatemongers and remain strong and united. This policy of divide and rule has backfired on the ruling party as the people of India have realized that the government has totally failed on the development agenda and is trying to divert the attention of people by playing the politics of communalism.
Maulana Umari also criticized the government’s handling of JNU situation, describing it as inept and which has tarnished the image of India abroad.
“ Had the student’s issue been resolved at the level of the university, it would not have received so much negative publicity. The role played by a section of the media in the whole JNU episode by conducting media-trials and branding people as anti-nationals was also questionable and gives grist to the suspicion they are biased and prejudiced against certain communities and are being used by some powers to implement their communal agenda”, he said.
Replying to the question of Jamaat’s support in the forthcoming Assembly polls, the JIH President was non-committal and said that they are evaluating the situation and will take a call once the candidates are finalized.