By Justice Markandey Katju
I disapprove of Mufti Salman Azhari's inflammatory speeches, for which he has been arrested..
But what action has been taken against Union Minister Anurag Thakur who said in a public speech '' Desh ke gaddaaron ko ' provokng the public to shout back '' Goli maaro saalon ko''? Has he been arrested? Has he been sacked from his ministerial post? Not at all. Then why this selective and discriminatory treatment against Muslims?
What about the hate speeches of Yati Narsinghanand and other 'saints', who advised Hindus to take up arms?
Narsinghanand was arrested, but a month thereafter granted bail,and walks free.
And what about these words of 'Swami' Prabodhanand ?
And what about these brazenly communal songs ?
And what action has been taken against those who shout anti-Muslim slogans during namaz ?
What action has been taken against the 'godi' media which constantly spouts venom against Muslims ?
And what about lynching of Muslims for allegedly eating or selling beef, or beating them up brutally for not saying Jai Shri Ram, or arresting them and keeping them in jail for long periods on false charges of being involved in terrorism ?
And what is to be said of the Ayodhya verdict of the Indian Supreme Court which said that demolition of the Babri Masjid was a crime, but yet handed the site over for building a 'bhavya' Ram Mandir on it.
Secularism has to be a two way traffic. It won't do to make it a one-way lane.
I do not approve of inflammatory speeches by some Muslims. But neither do I support the religious hatred against Muslims or the religious polarisation which has been going on for many years in the country.
(Justice Katju is a retired judge of the Supreme Court of India. These are his personal views.)
