Coming down heavily on the reported call given at a recent conclave of Hindutva organisations in Haridwar for the genocide of the people from the minority community, former Minister and Congress leader B.K. Chandrashekar on Thursday expressed concern over the silence maintained by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the statements.
Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, Prof Chandrashekar said the call for genocide was a “dangerous trend, which would shake the foundations of the country” and maintained that the silence of the Prime Minister and Home Minister was “anti-constitutional”. He also wondered if their silence was “tactical and intentional”.
Contending that the statements made at the so-called “Dharma Sansad” were not only “most objectionable”, but also “seditious”, Prof. Chandrashekar feared that such calls may have a cascading effect and put the country in throes of lawlessness. Though a FIR had been registered in the regard under certain provisions of Indian Penal Code by the local police, he wondered why the case was not registered under UAPA or Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
However, a letter has been written to the Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana by about 80 advocates in the national capital, who had shared their concern over the silence of the executive to the hate speeches made at Haridwar, he claimed.
Prof. Chandrashekar also criticised the Prime Minister for allegedly misusing the platforms at official government functions and programmes to deliver political speeches. Referring to the Prime Minister’s speech at a function organised in Uttar Pradesh recently on the occasion of the launch of work on a new airport, Prof. Chandrashekar came down heavily on the ‘impropriety’ of Mr. Modi to deliver a ‘political’ speech from a government platform.
“When he travels to the venue from the Government exchequer using the tax-payers’ money, how can he deliver a political speech?”, he questioned.
Similiarly, he said the Prime Minister had made a “public display” of the darshan and pooja at inauguration of Kashi Vishwanath corridor, which is also a government project. “Everybody prays. Even I offer prayers. But, we do it privately”, he said before accusing the Prime Minister of misusing the Kashi Vishwanath corridor project’s launch for electoral purposes and eying votes in the upcoming elections to Uttar Pradesh Assembly.
Though elections have not been announced yet, Prof. Chandrashekar said it was the “bounden duty” of Election Commission of India to take note of it and initiate steps to curb such practices.
He accused the Prime Minister of making no distinction between “Government and BJP” and “politics and religion”.
With regard to the ongoing controversy surrounding Rangayana in Mysuru, Prof. Chandrashekar found fault with the Director of the theatre repertory Addanda Cariappa’s choice of chief guest for the valedictory of Bahuroopi, the theatre festival, which has now been put off. He said Chakravarthi Sulibele, who had been invited for the valedictory function, had no connection with art or theatre.
