Journalism of Courage
The year 2015 witnessed controversial remarks by several Indian political leaders. Here are a few of them.
Khattar's beef remark: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said, “Muslim rahein, magar is desh mein beef khaana chhodna hi hoga unko. Yahan ki manyata hai gau."
Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti said, "Hindu women should never marry men from other communities as this will weaken the Hindu nari shakti."
Assam Governor P B Acharya said, “They (Indian Muslims) are free to go anywhere. They can stay here (in India). If they want to go to Bangladesh or Pakistan, they are free to go. Many of them have gone to Pakistan."
Sakshi Maharaj's gau mata remark: “If someone insults our mother, we would rather die than tolerate it… for us, it is Bharat mata, our biological mother and gau mata,” said the BJP MP from Unnao Sakshi Maharaj.
Following Yakub Memon's death penalty: Directing his remarks towards AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj said, “I think those who cannot respect this nation, cannot respect the national flag, cannot respect India’s Constitution, cannot respect the judiciary such people do not have the right to live in India. The way is open, they can easily go to Pakistan."
Dadri lynching case: Minister of State for Tourism and BJP MP from Noida, Mahesh Sharma, described the incident saying, “This (incident) should be considered as an accident without giving any communal colour to it."
His another controversial remark: “Aurangzeb Road ka bhi naam badal kar ek aise mahapurush ke naam par kiya hai jo Musalmaan hote hue bhi itna bada rashtravadi aur manavtavadi insaan tha, APJ Abdul Kalam, unke naam par kiya gaya hai."
Sangeet Som's threat: BJP MLA Sangeet Som, threatened that they were capable of giving a “befitting reply” if “innocents were framed” for lynching of a man over beef rumours. He said, “Agar nirdoshon ke khilaf karyawahi ki gayi, to munh-tod jawab hamne pehle bhi diya hai aur abh bhi dena jante hain."
Rajeev Tandon, Punjab chairman, Shiv Sena said, “We give an opportunity to the manager and employees of the hotel and also the team of his film to slap Aamir and get Rs 1 lakh from us. The courageous and patriotic persons who will slap Aamir Khan in Ludhiana will get Rs 1 lakh reward per slap from us.”
BJP MP and Hindutva leader Yogi Adityanath shoots his mouth: “If somebody wants to leave (India), then has anybody stopped him? If somebody wants to leave, he can do so voluntarily. At least, it will reduce the country’s population,” said Adityanath.
Following Shah Rukh Khan's 'intolerant remark' Yogi Adityanath said, “I am saying these people are speaking the language of terror. I think there is no difference in the language of Shah Rukh Khan and Hafiz Saeed. We welcome that people go there (Pakistan), at least people who defame India will understand their own originality,” he added.
Citing the census figures, Adityanath said, “This is the only country where the majority community is under a threat." He added, "What do the Census figures indicate? We have seen in the past. Can we forget what happened in the past? There should be a law to check their population. Whether there should be one child or two can be discussed, but a law applicable on all communities is needed."
On Ghar Wapsi: “Conversions spoil communal amity in the country. It should be banned. If conversions continue, I feel ‘Ghar Vapasi’ programme will continue,” said Aditynath.
Following the Bihar polls: "PM Narendra Modi is nothing but an RSS pracharak," said Lalu Yadav.
Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said, said, “I was witness to a statement made by one of the Lt Governors of Delhi some years ago. He had stated that people of north India enjoy breaking the rules. I believe what he said was right.”
Maharashtra Rural Development minister Pankaja Munde said, “Not allowing women to enter inside the shrine to perform puja has been age-old tradition. What’s wrong in that? There are several Hanuman temples where women are not allowed to enter. Each temple has its own rules. It is not something that has been recently enforced.”
BJP Lok Sabha member Paresh Rawal said, "Intolerance !PK did rattle the belief of Hindus but Aamir dint face the wrath of Hindu or THE MAJORITY n but was super hit n made crores !"
VHP leader Sadhvi Balika Saraswati said, "People who eat and live in India and praise Pakistan should be hit with shoes and sent to Pakistan.”
VHP leader Sadhvi Prachi said, "Shah Rukh Khan is an agent of neighbouring country Pakistan as he reflects their (Pakistan’s) ideology. Such a man should go to Pakistan."
Calling Mahatma Gandhi a British agent, VHP leader Sadhvi Prachi said, "Gandhian ways of protests and hunger strikes were worthless in achieving freedom."
VHP leader Sadhvi Prachi said, “Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Azam Khan are tarnishing the image of the country by their statements on intolerance."
Roughing up a tehsildar, Shiv Sena’s Aurangabad MP Chandrakant Khaire said, “What is your name? Did you break the thing that I had asked you to? Why are you breaking temples of Hindus?" He later said, "He (the tehsildar) is the progeny of Aurangzeb. He is breaking the temples of Hindus which no one has dared to do so in this city. There has been an order to break a masjid at Kranti Chowk but no one touches it.”
Reacting to BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha's Bihar poll remark: "When a car moves, a dog moves under it too, the dog believes that the car is moving because of me. This party is not dependable on one person, it’s a whole organisation and there’s a big hierarchy here. Those who are out of it were on a ‘Maun Vrat’ and now they are speaking,” said BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya.
Following Sadhvi Prachi's Dadri lynching remark, expelled SP leader Maviya Ali said, "She (Prachi) is spewing venom. She does not deserve to be alive. There is no harm if she is killed."
