Coronavirus Hate Speech: BJP MLA in UP Says 'Don't Buy Vegetables from Muslim Sellers'

Though Suresh Tiwari's remark appears to fall foul of various sections of the IPC and the Epidemic Diseases Act, the police in Deoria, UP has indicated it is unlikely to file a criminal case in the matter.

This communal incident occurred a day after another BJP MLA was reportedly pulled up for targeting Muslim vegetable vendors.

New Delhi: Even as Prime Minister Modi and senior ministers are trying to convince the world that their government does not discriminate between people on the basis of religion, a BJP MLA from Uttar Pradesh, Suresh Tiwari, has asked people in his district – Deoria – not to buy vegetables from Muslim vendors if they want to protect themselves from Coronavirus.

“Ek cheez dhayan mein rakhiyega, main bol raha hoon openly, koi bhi miyan ke hathon sabzi nahi lega” (Keep one thing in mind, I am telling everyone openly, no one should purchase vegetables from Muslims),  Tiwari can be heard saying at a gathering which was also attended by state government officials.

A video in which Tiwari, the BJP MLA from Barhaj constituency, was making the communal comment, has been circulating on social media. On asked about it, the legislator confirmed to the Indian Express the authenticity of the video. He told the newspaper that he had made the statement this past week.

After backlash, BJP condemns statement

According to PTI, UP BJP spokesperson Chandra Mohan said the party would look into the circumstances in which the MLA issued such the statement. “At this moment, it is the responsibility of all to act responsibly and work in a manner which encourages unity,” he said.

Soon after there was a civil society backlash against the legislator’s statement, the BJP issued a notice to him, asking him to explain his statement.

BJP national president J.P. Nadda said that the MLA’s statement was irresponsible and will not be tolerated by the party. He also urged other BJP legislators not to make such comments in the future. Nadda directed the Uttar Pradesh unit of the BJP to take due action against the MLA.

There appears to be no way to stop Bharatiya Janata Party leaders from targeting Muslim vendors in Uttar Pradesh during the COVID-19 lockdown. Just a day after the state BJP issued a show cause notice to a party legislator for urging people not to buy vegetables from Muslim vendors, a video of its MLA Brijbhushan Rajput has emerged. Rajput can been seen harassing a vendor and threatening him to go away after it was revealed that he was from the minority community.

In the video, which has gone viral, Rajput is seen harassing the vegetable vendor and asking him to enter to his colony again after it is revealed by a minor accompanying the man that he was actually a Muslim.

In the video, which was shot by one of Rajput’s neighbours, the MLA is seen asking the vendor for his name.

The video shows that when the vendor said his name was “Rajkumar”, the MLA insisted it was not and asked him for the real name. “Sahi bolo nahin to maar maar kay theek kar doonga tumhay (Tell me correctly or I will beat you up),” the MLA was then heard saying.

The legislator then asked a minor accompanying the vendor what his real name was, threatening that the vendor would go to jail otherwise. The boy then blurted that the name was “Ajiz-ur-Rahman”.

Then the MLA exclaimed, “Saala jhooth bol raha thaa Musalmaan hokay (You were lying about being a Muslim).”

As two men in the video asked the vendor why he was lying, the child intervened saying, “Chhod do, ab nahin karengay (Leave us, we will not do it again).”

Even as the vendor and the minor were leaving, the MLA was heard shouting: “Dikh mat jaana yahan mohallay main (Do not be seen in this locality again).”