To
The Honourable Chief Justice of India
Supreme Court of India
New Delhi
Sir,
We felt compelled to directly write to you because our belief has
been reinforced by experience that little is done to prevent atrocities
against religious minorities, or to prosecute such atrocities, when
repeatedly inflicted by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad or its President Dr.
Pravin Togadia.
Our notice had been drawn to an incident reported by Vijaysinh Parmar
in the Times of India (url enclosed below) dated 21 April 2014 titled:
Evict Muslims from Hindu Areas: PravinTogadia.
Url of the internet edition:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Evict-Muslims-from-Hindu-areas-Pravin-Togadia/articleshow/34017292.cms
The news report has been quoted below literatim.
[RAJKOT: Vishwa Hindu Parishad's (VHP) president Pravin Togadia sent temperatures soaring in Bhavnagar
on Saturday evening with a hate speech that targeted Muslims for buying properties in Hindu areas.
At night, Togadia joined a group of VHP and Bajrang Dal members on a
street protest outside a house purchased by a Muslim businessman near
Meghani Circle. While saffron groups have been regularly organizing 'Ram
Dhuns' and 'Ram Darbars' to thwart such deals, Togadia went a step
further by asking the protesters to take complete control of the house
and put a 'Bajrang Dal' board on it.
Togadia told the gathering that there were two ways to stop such
deals. One is to pressurize the state government to bring in Disturbed
Areas Act in Bhavnagar, which prevents inter-community sale of immovable
property. The second is to take forcible possession of the house and
fight a legal battle later which will go on for years.
He gave the Muslim occupant 48 hours to vacate the house. "If he does
not relent, go with stones, tyres and tomatoes to his office. There is
nothing wrong in it. Killers of Rajiv Gandhi have not been hanged ...
there is nothing to fear and the case will go on," Togadia told the
charged-up gathering.
"I have done it in the past and Muslims have lost both property and money," he said.
He also said that this election is the best time to pressurize
political parties to ensure safety of Hindus. "Don't be reluctant to
pressurize Congress or BJP for the sake of Hindus' safety," he said.
After the event was over, tension was palpable and police feared that
the mob might attack the house. A team of policemen has been stationed
outside the house to avert any trouble. ]
Gujarat’s history of recent past makes the likelihood of the State of
Gujarat to act lawfully against Pravin Togadia or the Vishwa Hindu
Parishad extremely slim and in violation of the Article 15 of the Indian
Constitution.
It is our fervent appeal to you to take note of the reported incident
and direct the State of Gujarat to take appropriate steps to
investigate the matter swiftly and if found true, take measures to
prosecute Pravin Togadia as per law.
Writing to you directly may not be the instrument for judicial remedy
in an ordinary situation, but considering the communally polarized
atmosphere and the deep sense of alienation felt by ordinary Muslims due
to our repeated failures to protect their lives and uphold their
rights, we have been left with little choice.
We are am doing so because as ordinary Indian citizens, we still have
faith in the Supreme Court of India as among the few institutions left
in this nation which still has not largely failed in its obligation to
uphold the rights enshrined in the Constitution of India for the
citizens of this nation regardless of their faith, ethnicity, gender or
place of birth.
We appeal to you to invoke the authority vested in you to uphold the
rights enshrined in the Constitution and set an example that aggrieved
ordinary citizens have a means of being heard when their rights have
been trampled upon just because they belong to a religious minority in
this nation.
In anticipation of your just and timely intervention,
Thanking You,
With Deepest Regards,
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