VHP calls for tough action against Hindu attackers
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Saturday demanded stringent measures against “extremist forces”, claiming that 254 Hindus have been killed in alleged attacks till August this year. The RSS affiliate demanded that cases involving attacks on Hindus driven by religious hatred be referred to fast-track courts without delay and that those found guilty be given stringent punishment swiftly.
Addressing a press conference, VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain also demanded that minors involved in violence or murder in cases allegedly motivated by religious hatred be tried as adults.
Jain claimed that attacks by extremists on Hindu religious events, abduction of Hindu women through force or deception under the guise of “Love Jihad”, and assaults on Hindu settlements are becoming “daily” occurrences.
“Legal proceedings for barbaric acts — such as murder and attacks motivated by religious hatred — must mandatorily treat these individuals as adults. No other country has had to struggle against extremist mindset as much as Bharat (India) has.
Although Bharat should have been liberated from this mindset following the painful, religion-based partition of the country, the policy of appeasement — pursued in the name of secular politics — has only exacerbated Bharat’s suffering,” he alleged.
He also demanded stringent measures to regulate madrasas, alleging that they serve as “hubs for religious fanaticism and the propagation of hatred”. Many countries have banned madrassas, and the Rajasthan High Court has also recently urged their regulation, he said. Jain demanded that high-resolution cameras be installed in sensitive areas, mosques and madrassas, with monitoring systems linked to local police stations.
He also called for monitoring the activities of organisations and politicians that, according to him, encourage radicalism, and sought curbs on their alleged anti-social activities. VHP also appealed to the “peace-loving leadership” within the Muslim community to acknowledge terrorist and separatist plots instead of denying or attempting to cover them up and encourage introspection and self-correction.
