Court To Investigate Hindu Extremists Call For Attack On Muslim Community

Indian Supreme Court has said it will investigate the complaints that Hindu nationalist leaders called to arms against the country’s Muslim minority.

NBC News reported that notice of investigation was issued last week, where a Hindu nationalist conference in the city of Haridwar was attended by hundreds of right-wing activists.

One of the speakers, Swami Prabodhananda Giri, said at the conference; “We must prepare to either kill or be killed.”

A petition filed to the court said the speeches in Haridwar and at a similar event in Delhi resulted in an open call for the murder of an entire community.

"The speeches pose a grave threat not just to the unity and integrity of our country but also endanger the lives of millions of Muslim citizens," the petition stated.

Maulana Mahmood Madani, the President of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, which describes itself as India’s largest Muslim organization said in a statement on Monday that, "To give speeches against us and to say you want to drive out an entire population based on their religion, I don’t understand how they can ignore this.”

Also, Gregory H. Stanton the President of Genocide Watch, a U.S.-based nonprofit group said;

“The fact that the prime minister has not spoken out against it is a form of denial, a form of license to continue this kind of religious extremism.”

But BJP leader, Shant Prakash Jatav has said to NBC News that the government would ensure respect for people of all religions. He said; “If and when someone speaks against a religion, then there is proper law and order against that, and legal action will be taken.”

A police officer in Haridwar, Rajendra Singh has said that two people who spoke at the event had been summoned to provide statements on suspicion of provoking rioting.

NBC News added that, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a Hindu nationalist, Anti-Muslim sentiment has been rising within Hindu-majority in India. Since Modi took power with his re-election in 2014, Muslims in India have faced increased violence, discrimination and government persecution.

Attacks from Hindu nationalists have ranged from property destruction and the disruption of religious services to deadly lynch mobs.