On April 16, leaders of 13 opposition parties, including three chief ministers, came together and issued a joint appeal to speak against the growing incidents of communal violence and hate speech.
They said that the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government when they don’t speak out against people who spread extremism and make people incite and instigate with their words and actions is a clear sign that they get real support from the government.
The joint statement comes only days after incidents of communal violence were accounted for in some parts of the country, like Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Karnataka, among different regions around Ram Navmi on the 10th of April. Even now the condition in MP’s Khargone is yet tense.
“We strongly condemn the recent outburst of communal violence witnessed across several states in the country. We are deeply concerned, as reports indicate that there is a sinister pattern in the areas where these incidents have occurred. Incendiary hate speeches preceded the aggressive armed religious processions, unleashing communal violence.”
The leaders who have given the allure include Sonia Gandhi, the president of the Congress, Sharad Pawar, the leader of the NCP; Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal; MK Stalin, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu; and Hemant Soren, the chief minister of Jharkhand; Sitaram Yechury, the general secretary of the Communist Party of India; CPI’s D Raja, Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Tejaswi Yadav, and National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah.
According to a source, the Shiv Sena, which works with Congress and the NCP in Maharashtra, chose not to become a signatory because they were dissatisfied with a portion of the joint appeal’s language.
Opposition leaders also talked about the debates about Muslim students in Karnataka wearing hijab, or traditional headscarves, in school, and the change to a no-non-vegan food ban during Navratri.
It said,
“We are very concerned about how issues like food, dress, religion, celebrations, and language are being deliberately used by parts of the decision-making process to make our general public fall in love with them. We are very concerned. “
They said,
“Our nation will thrive provided that it regards, obliges, and commends its numerous varieties in full measure”
While speaking to all segments of society to keep up with the harmony. Later that day, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia responded to the appeal. Quoting,
“Today, all opposition parties, including Congress, have given a joint appeal, but this appeal is as fake as the intentions of Congress and the opposition. Today, people are asking you why the main accused of the Karauli violence has not been arrested even after 14 days.”
Edited By: Khushi Thakur
Published By: Bhavya Dedhia
