Sadak Se Sansad Tak: India protests against mob lynchings, demands justice for Tabrez Ansari

Shouting slogans, and appealing to Indians to unite against hate crimes, while slamming the Modi government for creating division among people along religious lines, thousands of people gathered at Jantar-Mantar in Delhi to demand justice for Tabrez Ansari on Wednesday.

Ansari, a 24-year-old Muslim youth was thrashed by a mob in Jharkhand last week. A video that emerged after the thrashing showed Tabrez was forced to chant “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Hanuman”. Four days later, Tabrez succumbed to his injuries. He was reportedly declared “brought dead” by doctors at the Tata Main Hospital in Jamshedpur.

“Yesterday they killed Akhlaq and Pehlu Khan, today they are killing Tabrez, tomorrow they will kill you, all of us one by one,” said an angry protester.

“Lord Ram stands for compassion but these people have made him a made a symbol of religious bigotry,” said another.

Protesters who started assembling at Jantar-Mantar since evening, also took out a candle march and shouted slogans against the Modi government.

Former president of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) Kanhaiya Kumar along with his supporters joined the protest.

Addressing the protesters, Kumar who recently fought in the Lok Sabha elections from Begusarai Lok Sabha seat said, “The religion which justifies killing is not Dharm but Dhoka (deceit)”.

Pointing towards the people who had gathered to protest, Kumar roared, “I have not come here as a leader but as a citizen to add my voice to your voice…There are still a few who do not ask people about their religion before hitting the street to support their cause. Democracy thrives on such thinking. It is alive because of such people.”

Saying that “it is the beginning of a new battle” former JNUSU president attacked Modi for failing to keep his promise of “Sabha Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas.”

Former JNU student Umar Khalid also addressed the protesters. Demanding for the resignation of Raghubar Das- the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Khalid shouted slogans in favor of Hindu-Muslim unity.

Khalid said, “Modi government is using religion as a diversionary tactic so that people should not ask questions about the real issues affecting their life such as unemployment, water scarcity, poor health infrastructure etc.”

Earlier in the day, Khalid had tweeted out a list comprising of incidents of mob lynching in Jharkhand.

Over a thousand kilometers away from Delhi, in the capital city of Jharkhand, Ranchi, people hit the street in large numbers to protest against rising hate crimes in the country.

Led by former Rajya Sabha member Ali Anwar, hundreds of protesters sat on Dharna in front of Raj Bhawan.

Similarly, in the Munger district of Bihar, people took out a united procession and candle march against the killing of Tabrez.

Not only in the streets but in the parliament also, the issue of mob lynching took center stage on Wednesday.

Although, in the wake of growing public-pressure, PM Modi expressed his concern over the lynchings but he also defended the BJP government which did not go down well with the opposition leaders.

“The lynching in Jharkhand has pained me. It has saddened others too. But, some here in the Rajya Sabha are calling Jharkhand a hub of lynching. Is this fair? Why are they insulting a whole state? None of us has the right to insult the state of Jharkhand,” said PM in the Rajya Sabha.

AIMIM leader, Asaduddin Owaisi attacked PM Modi for adding “if and but” in his condemnation.

Launching a scathing attack on the members of the treasury benches, AAP leader Sanjay Singh dared NDA leaders to read the history of Islam in India.

Taking swipe at Modi’s “New India” slogan, Sanjay Singh said in Rajya Sabha that “you are embarrassing the glorious history of sacrifices made by Muslims in the service of Mother India”. His speech can be watched here:

Apart from the protest in the parliament and various other cities, people took to social media to vent out their anger against the Modi government over the killing of Tabrez.

According to inputs gathered from all over the country, people in a coordinated protest came out in large number in over 50 cities.

Chanting slogans and criticising Modi government for defending and garlanding perpetrators, protesters demanded justice for all the victims of mob-lynching.