Pragya Singh Thakur made the alleged hate speech in Karnataka on December 25.
A group of 103 former bureaucrats has slammed BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur for an alleged hate speech in Karnataka in which she urged Hindus to "keep weapons". The group has demanded action from the Lok Sabha's Speaker and Committee of Ethics.
Pragya Thakur, MP from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, was reportedly named in a police case — charges unclear — after she allegedly made incendiary remarks against Muslims while speaking at a Hindu group's convention in Shivamogga.
"They have a tradition of jihad, if nothing they do Love Jihad," she had said, referring to the right-wing's conspiracy theory that Muslims have an organised attempt at "luring" Hindu girls. "Answer those involved in Love Jihad... Protect your girls, teach them the right values."
She had further said, "Keep weapons in your homes, if nothing else, at least knives used to cut vegetables, sharp... Don't know what situation will arise when... Everyone has the right to self protection."
The former officers' letter says she appears to have "cleverly chosen her words to avoid criminal charges being made against her" as her speech may be seen as calling only for "self-defence".
It alleges that she was "clearly telling her Hindu audience that they had to be afraid of attacks from non-Hindus", though the word 'Muslim' was not used.
Signatories include Anita Agnihotri, former secretary in the central government's department of social justice; Salahuddin Ahmad, a former chief secretary, Rajasthan; and SP Ambrose, who served as additional secretary in the union ministry of transport.
"By her incendiary words, Pragya Thakur has not only committed several offences under the Indian Penal Code, she has also violated the oath taken by her as Member of Parliament to uphold the Constitution of India, which is premised upon the rights to life and liberty, secularism, equality and fraternity," it adds.
It also mentions a petition by some civil society organisations asking the Speaker of the Lok Sabha to disqualify her as MP. "We, in the Constitutional Conduct Group, also strongly believe that stern action should be taken against her as per the rules of the Lok Sabha," it adds.
It goes on to observe that society seems to have become "inured to hate speech" against minorities.
"A daily dose of venom is spewed, in the print, visual and social media against different non-Hindu communities, primarily against Muslims, and more lately against Christians as well. Often, these verbal attacks are accompanied by physical violence, assaults on their places of worship, anti-conversion legislation, hurdles placed in the way of inter-faith marriages, denial of livelihoods and [...] other actions to lower their status in society. A compliant media and systematic distortion of history by people in positions of authority feed this frenzy of communal hate," the letter alleges.
It quotes from recent Supreme Court judgments that stress that India is a secular country as per its Constitution.
Arguing that Pragya Thakur be charged with particular sections of the law, it says, "It is commendable that the police in Shivamogga have not been taken in by [her] attempt to disguise her speech as being about self-defence and have registered one or more FIRs against her under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. We hope they will speedily move to file a chargesheet in the court."