Police Watch As UP Dharam Sansad Mocks Judiciary, Calls for Anti-Muslim Violence

Cameraperson: Shiv Kumar Maurya

Video editor: Deepthi Ramdas

From calls to attack masjids and maulvis, to appeals to Hindutva followers to kill those they think are anti-national, here is all the hate speech, calls to violence, and contempt of court and Constitution that took place at the Dharam Sansad event titled ‘Sant Sammelan Against Islamic Jihad and for the Creation of Hindu Rashtra’, in poll-bound UP’s Prayagraj on 29 January.

The event was organised by the same people who conducted the Haridwar Dharam Sansad.

And all of this occurred in front of a large number of personnel of the UP Police. But will the state authorities, the UP Police, or the Election Commission take action against the hate speech and calls to violence made in Prayagraj?

Here are some of the most explicit examples of hate speech, calls to violence and comments insulting the judiciary, that were made by Hindutva leaders at the event.

'Do Kauri Ke Log': Hindutva Leaders on the Judicial Process

"As sants, we should resolve our issues among ourselves through a common forum. It doesn’t befit us to appear before do kauri ke log (worthless people) in court."

Krishnacharya Maharaj, a speaker at the Prayagraj Sant Sammelan

Speaking to The Quint after the event was completed, Swami Prabodhanand Giri, a member of the Dharam Sansad Core Committee, concurred with Krishnacharya and remarked, "It is not the job of mahatmas like us to bow down before these do kauri ke log (worthless people)."

'Our Court is Above the Supreme Court'

When we asked Swami Anand Swaroop, member of the Dharam Sansad core committee and an organiser of the Prayagraj Sant Sammelan, about whether he supported Krishnacharya Maharaj's statement mocking and insulting the judicial process, he replied, "Our court is above the Supreme Court."

A Call to Kill Those They Think Are 'Anti-National'

"Pick up weapons and go and stop anti-national people. Stop them, scold them…and if they don’t listen, kill them."

Swami Narendranand Saraswati, speaker at the Prayagraj Sant Sammelan

Asked whether he condoned such calls for violence, Swami Anand Swaroop said, "If non-violence doesn’t get us to our goal, then we should take up violence. Following non-violence is the path of dharma, but taking up violence for your religion is an even greater act of dharma."

A Call to Attack Masjids, Madarsas, Maulvis and Mullahs

Swami Prabodhanand Giri, who had led a hate speech event in UP's Ghaziabad on 2 January, made a similarly hateful speech in Prayagraj as well.

He raked up the same analogy as he had in Ghaziabad, where he compared Hindus to a pigeon that was under threat from a 'jihadi cat'. At the Sant Sammelan event in Prayagraj, Prabodhanand went so far as to say that Hindus must attack and gouge out the two eyes of the 'jihadi cat' in order to preserve themselves.

"One eye of the jihadi cat which needs to be attacked are masjids and madrasas, and the other eye are maulvis and mullahs, who are the ones responsible for creating jihadis.”

Swami Prabodhanand Giri, member of the Dharam Sansad Core Committee

Both Prabodhanand and Swaroop said that they define jihadi as anyone who understands the Quran.

'All Muslims Will Be Finished

"The time is near. Soon, all the Muslims of the world will be finished on their own."

Ram Lakhan Das Maharaj, speaker at the Prayagraj Sant Sammelan

Hindutva Leader Abuses Owaisi, Calls for Him to be Jailed and Thrashed'

In a clear, unambiguous reference to AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, Swami Narendranand Saraswati remarked, "That Hyderabadi dog, who is an elected representative, talks about IPC and CrPC. In Kanpur, he antagonised the police, the media and the Hindu community. Why is there no FIR against him? Such an elected representative should have his (parliamentary) membership revoked, and then he should be thrown in jail and thrashed there."

'All Religions Are Not Equal'

Swami Yatindranand Giri, who was introduced at the Sant Sammelan as a member of the Juna Akhada, said, "There is no bigger lie than the statement that all religions are equal. There is only one (true) religion in the world - Sanatan Hindu dharm."

And these aren't all the instances of hate speech and calls to violence which were made by Hindutva leaders at the Prayagraj Dharam Sansad.

Watch our full video report to view the hate speech that asked to "cut off their six inches", the threats of conducting an armed insurgency, and our questions to Swami Anand Swaroop and Swami Prabodhanand Giri, two of the key organisers of the Prayagraj event and members of the Dharam Sansad core committee, about whether they have any respect for the Constitution of India, and whether they are exhorting their followers to break the law of the land and take up violence instead.