Katheria has no place in govt

The denials and clarifications made by Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Ram Shankar Katheria about a hate speech he made in Agra are very unconvincing. There is audio-visual evidence of the patently inflammatory remarks the minister made at a condolence meeting for a VHP worker who was killed in the city. The minister initially almost justified his remarks saying there was a lot of anger among the Hindu community. Later, he claimed that the reports were wrong. He also said that he did not name any community in his speech. In the video, he is seen as saying that “we must show such strength that these killers disappear.” There cannot be any doubt about whom
he meant by “these killers.” He should not also identify himself with the Hindu community, being a minister. He also endorsed with his silence open calls from the stage for vengeance against Muslims. Speakers, including an MP, made calls for beheading and deciding a date to take on Muslims, and equated Muslims with demons. All this is hate speech and incitement to violence.

It is not just the propriety of such remarks that should be questioned. Katheria is a minister sworn to uphold the Constitution. He has blatantly violated it and should have no place in the ministry after making such remarks. There was a weak defence by the BJP that he made the remarks in his personal capacity. There cannot be a distinction between personal and official positions when someone commits a crime. Katheria has committed offences under sections of the IPC relating to promoting disharmony, hatred and ill-will among communities, and should be booked under them. While students are being hauled up on the basis of dubious videos, a minister who calls for mass murders is not even questioned, though there is ample proof of his crime.

Hate speeches being made by leaders of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar are increasingly vitiating the atmosphere and creating confrontations and social tensions. Uttara Kannada MP Anantkumar Hegde reportedly identified Islam with terrorism and said that there will be no end to terrorism as long Islam exists. Such statements have become common, and no senior BJP leader or the prime minister comes forward to condemn them and to restrain those who make them. The frequent vitriolic comments, warnings and threats make people, especially the minorities, feel insecure. The government and the prime minister belong to the entire country, not to a section. The prime minister should drop Katheria from the ministry and ensure that he faces the law.