The Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha, a coalition of rights outfits, has written to chief secretary L. Khiangte and director-general of police (DGP) Anurag Gupta for legal action against BJP leaders delivering “continuous” communal speeches in the poll-bound state.

“In the last few days, many Union ministers including the Prime Minister, home minister, rural development and agriculture minister, Assam chief minister and chief ministers of other states and state-level leaders of the BJP are continuously giving hate speeches during their election meetings in Jharkhand. By using the words love jihad, land jihad and in the name of Bangladeshi infiltrators, they are targeting Indian Muslims and trying to polarise the state on religious grounds. Due to this, there is every possibility of spreading hatred and communalism among different communities in Jharkhand,” the letter written in
Hindi says.

The letter states that the speeches made by the BJP leaders were false and fabricated, and an attempt was being made to create religious hatred against Muslims.

“This is harmful for the fabric of Jharkhandi society and communal harmony. It is worth mentioning that the BJP-led central government has replied in Parliament that there is no mention of love jihad or land jihad in the law, nor are there any such cases. Also note that in the case related to Bangladeshi infiltration going on in the high court, the Center has said in its affidavit that the involvement of Bangladeshi infiltrators in the recent land dispute cases of Santhal Pargana has not been established,” the
letter mentioned.

“In this regard, the Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha and the Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan (also a coalition of right defenders) had also found the same in their detailed fact-finding,” the letter stated.

The fact-finding report on alleged Bangladeshi infiltration in Santhal Pargana has been attached to the letter.

The letter reminds the chief secretary and the director-general of police that the Supreme Court has given clear guidelines to take legal action against hate speech in several of its orders.

“On this basis, the Mahasabha has demanded that immediate legal action be taken against any political leader in the state who gives hate speeches to spread religious and communal hatred.”

It also seeks monitoring of such speeches by the political leaders prior to the Assembly polls in Jharkhand so that peace and communal harmony is maintained.

Almost all the national-level BJP leaders have been alleging Bangladeshi infiltration not only in Santhal Pargana but also in other tribal areas and also allege that it has led to change in the
tribal demography.

Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren has also accused national-level leaders of the BJP, including chief ministers of BJP-ruled states, of spreading communal hatred prior to elections in the name of Bangladeshi infiltration.