‘Action should be taken against leaders who made hate speeches’

“Modi ji ka naara Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas tha, Sabka Vinash nahin... Badbolepan se halaat bigadte hain, yeh hota hai (Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan was Everyone’s cooperation, everyone’s development, everyone’s confidence, not everyone’s destruction... babbling worsens the situation, this is what happens),” said Mohammad Atiq as he held up pictures of his destroyed undergarments factory in Karawal Nagar.

“I gave the BJP 16-17 years of my life... I used to be on first-name basis with its senior State leaders... But not one of them has called to inquire or console me after my factory was destroyed last Monday, along with that of my younger brother, just because of what our names are,” said Mr. Atiq, who leads the BJP’s minorities’ cell at Brahmpuri Mandal.

He said that he had worked hard to ensure that 700-800 people from the Muslim community in the area took up the party’s membership during a drive in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly elections.

Mr. Atiq said that he received a call from the owners of factories located near his unit was informed that his factory, and that of his brother, had been ransacked during the violence in Delhi.

“Rioters have no religion just like the babbling leaders across the political spectrum whose speeches had triggered a breakdown of trust between communities,” he said, adding: “On February 25, I got a call from a neighbour telling me that our factories had been destroyed... they told me not to come to Karawal Nagar even to assess the loss... I have not been able to gather the courage to go there. I am from Bihar and never felt as unsafe as I do here now.”

“My entire life savings was destroyed by rioters... Who were these people?... Rioters have no religion, but what is a fact is that whether it is [BJP leader] Kapil Mishra or Asaduddin [Owaisi], all kinds of hate speech which lead to a breakdown of brotherhood must be condemned,” he added.

A resident of Usmanpur, Mr. Atiq said he, like his Hindu neighbours, had been carrying out night vigils at the local temple in the Gau Gali to confront the fear and apprehensions related to their safety and that of their families for the last ten days.

Mr. Atiq said that if given a chance he would complain at the highest levels against the hate speeches delivered by leaders from his own party, which “got worse after the Delhi election results”.

“There is so much tension that people from both communities have not been able to sleep for the last 10 nights,” he said, adding: “What Kapil Mishra has said, which even the party is condemning, must be condemned. What has happened has happened and it is high time that both communities come together to rebuild lives.”