By Annisa Essack
24:12:2021
The Indian police have registered a case after several Hindu religious and political leaders called “Muslim genocide.”  The group also threatened to kill ex-premier Manmohan Singh, sparking massive outrage, and called for PM Narendra Modi to rein in the radical groups affiliated with his right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party.

More than fifty monks and politicians spoke at the 72-hour-long hate speech meeting in Haridwar city, calling for the mass murder of nearly 200 million Indian Muslims.

Controversial Hindutva figure Yati Narsinghanand held the meeting in Uttarakhand from December 17 to 19, part of which was live-streamed.

On Thursday, the head of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, India’s largest socio-religious Muslim organisation, accused PM Modi’s government of turning a blind eye to the open call against the Muslim community by far-right groups and the hate speeches made regularly in an organised manner.

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), National Committee for Minorities, and chief minister of Uttarakhand, Maulana Mahmood Madni, demanded strict action against the offenders.

“They have posed threat to the peace and communal harmony of the country. I demand strong actions must be taken against organisers and speakers,” said Maulana Madni.

A former military chief, several rights activists, and opposition politicians demanded action against the speakers, some of whom made anti-Muslim speeches.

Former Indian army chief General Ved Malik also sought action against the far-right speakers.

“Agreed. Such speeches disturb public harmony and affect national security. Action required by Civil Admin (administration),” he tweeted.

Hardline groups who view India as a Hindu nation and reject the Muslim minority as outsiders have been encouraged since Modi’s, a lifelong member of the hardline Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Hindu nationalist groups, election victory in 2014.