Two back-to-back protests in Delhi informed by strong anti-Muslim sentiments are triggering fresh concerns about the weakened state of India's secular fabric.
The first protest took place in Dwarka Sector 22, where the construction of a Hajj House for Muslim pilgrims is set to take place. A large group of residents from the neighbourhood area and Khaps from nearby villages had gathered at the site of the prospective Hajj House, on 6 August, chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Hindu Ekta' to oppose its construction.
While some protesters said they feared that the Hajj House itself would become 'another Tablighi Jamaat', some other claimed that constructing the Hajj House would lead to clashes, riots, and a law-and-order problem.
But the second and doubly concerning rally took place in the heart of Delhi — at Jantar Mantar, just two days after the Dwarka gathering, where in a protest against 'colonial era laws', some especially violent and inflammatory slogans were raised against the Muslim community.
Purported video clips from the gathering showed protestors raising slogans that threaten to kill Muslims, which have been drawing massive outrage over the past few days.
This led the police to take action two days after the slogans were raised and arrest five people, including a Supreme Court lawyer and former Delhi BJP spokesperson Ashwini Upadhyay who had organised the event. However Upadhyay was granted bail a day later on 11 August.
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