Congress leader Saifuddin Soz lauds ex-armed forces chiefs for joining issue with Haridwar hate mongers

Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Prof. Saifuddin Soz has lauded the former chiefs of staff of armed services who co-signed a letter addressed to the President and Prime Minister calling for action against participants of the so-called Dharma Sansad held in Haridwar last month during which some of them called for violence against Muslims.

“Three cheers for the former top Army, Navy and Air Force Commanders including former service chiefs who have raised their strong voice against the calls for establishing a Hindu Rashtra and asking Hindus to pick up arms and kill Indian Muslims in the name of protecting Hinduism,” he said in a statement released to the press on Tuesday.

“These former top Commanders have called upon Parliament, the Supreme Court and the government to act with urgency to protect the integrity and security of our country and strongly deplored such polarization in the name of religion. They have strongly urged the President and the Prime Minister to take immediate steps to curb such culprits and condemn such incitement to violence in no uncertain terms,” he added.

“These former officers have also urged the judiciary to take action against such people who have so openly made calls for establishing a Hindu Rashtra and asking Hindus to pick up arms against Muslims in the name of protecting Hinduism. It is a heartening development,” Soz said.

It may be recalled that former Navy chiefs Admiral L Ramdas (Retd), Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat (Retd), Admiral Arun Prakash (Retd), Admiral RK Dhowan (Retd) and Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi (retd) were among over 100 bureaucrats, journalists, lawyers, and economists who addressed a letter to the President and PM on December 31.

“We are seriously perturbed by the content of speeches made during a three-day religious conclave called a Dharma Sansad [religious parliament], of Hindu Sadhus and other leaders, held at Haridwar between 17-19 December 2021,” the letter read. “There were repeated calls for establishing a Hindu Rashtra and, if required, picking up weapons and killing of India’s Muslims in the name of protecting Hinduism,” it added.

The signatories warned that calls for violence can embolden external forces amid the current situation at the country’s borders. “The unity and cohesiveness of our men and women in uniform, including the Central Armed Police Forces and police forces, will be seriously affected by allowing such blatant calls for violence against one or the other community in our diverse and plural society,” the letter said.

Stating that the Constitution provides for the free practice of religion across faiths, the signatories strongly deplored polarisation in the name of religion.

“We cannot allow such incitement to violence together with public expressions of hate – which not only constitute serious breaches of internal security but which could also tear apart the social fabric of our nation,” they added.