In yet another incident of hate speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made inflammatory claims about alleged “infiltrators” taking over local government positions in Jahrkhand’s Santhal Pargan region.
While addressing a public meeting in Jamshedpur, PM Modi accused alleged Bangladeshi and Rohingya Muslims of marrying Adivasi women to seize land and property, using them as proxies to gain influence and dominate the area.
‘’In Santhal Pargana, the Adivasi population is declining to a dangerous level. The land is being occupied. Infiltrators are occupying the posts in the panchayats” PM Modi alleged. In his speech, he also targeted the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) party saying that they support Bangladeshis and Rohingyas as well.
It is pertinent to mention here Santhal Pargana is a division in the state of Jharkhand, that comprises six districts. The region is the home of the Adivasi community. Several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have been campaigning in the region, repeatedly making unsustained allegations about “Bangladeshi infiltrators” and “Rohingyas”.
PM Modi also took a jibe at Congress while stating that “infiltration” took place because “the ghost of Congress” entered the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.
He said, “When the ghost of Congress enters any party, then appeasement becomes the only agenda of that party. These parties want to form their vote bank based on religion.”
However, surveys conducted by human rights organizations and other media houses have revealed that such allegations are false and have no merit. On this side of the contention, the Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan, an Adivasi minority rights organisation categorically denied the existence of demographic change on account of the undocumented migrants from Bangladesh.
PM Modi is not the only contributor of hate speech and disinformation for electoral gains. Two months ago, Union home minister Amit Shah had said at a meeting of the BJP’s Jharkhand unit that “thousands of infiltrators” were marrying Adivasi women to “obtain certificates and buy land”, labelling the practice “love jihad and land jihad,” the Islamophobic terms used by racial Hindutva organisations to justify their attack on Muslims.
Five days later, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey claimed that 100 Adivasi women mukhiyas were married to Muslims. He couldn’t provide any evidence.
The United Kingdom Indian Muslim Council (UK-IMC) has released a report which highlights the alarming normalization of hate speech and divisive rhetoric against Muslims by leaders of the BJP in India.
The report released on April 21 showed a concerning trend of hate speech that doubled during the second term of the BJP-led government, spanning from 2019 to 2024.
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