

There has been a deliberate attempt to malign Hindus and attack its symbols. The protests around the Citizenship law have taken an ugly turn and several persons part of the violence have tried to malign Hindus.

Also read: Citizenship law: The fact explained and the myth busted

Although the amended law clearly does not affect a single Indian, there have been two incidents during the protests that have attacked Hindus. In Bengaluru, the Om symbol was caricatured with some very demeaning words written on the banner.

Close on the heels of this incident came another in which a Hanuman temple was vandalised during the protests in Bihar held on Saturday. The bandh was called by the RJD and the party called the new law anti Muslim.

The temple at Patna’s Phulwari was desecrated by a mob. Visuals of RJD workers, armed with sticks have gone viral. They were also seen vandalising vehicles during their protest. The trouble began when the rally was passing through the Tamtam Padao. The residents were not permitting these persons to enter, following which the situation went out of control.

A pattern:

The protests around the Act have a pattern to it. There is a deliberate ploy on the part of the Opposition to misguide and provoke the Muslims. The Hindus on the other hand have remained silent and not retaliated. However incidents such as caricaturing the Om symbol and the desecration of the temple at Bihar are clear indicators that these Opposition parties want the protest to turn communal.

Since the time the protests have broken out, several persons have not only raised slogans against the new law, but have targeted the Hindus as well. There has been anti-India and anti-Hindu sloganeering. The home ministry based on intelligence reports has said that there is a pattern to the protests and a deliberate attempt to provoke the people so that this entire issue turns communal.

In Bihar, there has been a sustained attempt to target the Hindus and the Opposition is leading this charge. In October 2019, a Muslim mob had attacked a Durga idol procession in Jehanabad. A group of Hindus who were carrying the idol of Goddess Durga were attacked with stones. The stones were pelted from the roof tops of a Mosque near the Bihar Studio at Arval Modh.

Home ministry officials informed MyNation that they have enough inputs to suggest that there is a deliberate attempt to make this entire issue communal. The manner in which these protests began itself is an indication that the intent was to provoke the Muslims.

The protests began at the Jamia Millia and Aligarh Muslim University, two minority institutions. This was a clear signal that the Opposition wanted to show that the act was to target the Muslims. There would be more such attempts that would be made, in a bid to ensure that this issue blows into a full blown communal clash. "We however appeal to the people not to fall prey to these tactics and stay calm," the official said.

Such incidents also are a clear indicator that radical Islamic elements have entered the protests. The Intelligence Bureau has spoken about the presence of groups such as the SIMI in these protests. Such protests are fodder for these groups, who have always had an agenda to break the nation by terrorising it. In Uttar Pradesh too, the police took into custody six persons from West Bengal, who are alleged to have links with the SIMI.

The case is similar in Bihar as well, where the SIMI as well the Indian Mujahideen have had a strong presence. These elements along with parties such as the RJD have deliberately set in motion a ploy to ruin the social fabric. Desecrating temples and insulting the Hindus is only aimed at provocation so that the protests turn communal.