Haridwar Hate Speech: Silence is deafening, people are not blind, says former CEC

After the political tussle over the Haridwar Hate Speech row gathered a new momentum, the former chief election commissioner Dr. S. Y. Quraishi has expressed his deep anguish. Talking to ETV Bharat's Saurabh Sharma, former CEC asked, 'Why no action is being taken against such culprits whose utterances have violated several sections of the law.'

New Delhi: After the political tussle over the Haridwar Hate Speech row gathered a new momentum, the former chief election commissioner Dr. S. Y. Quraishi has expressed his deep anguish. Talking to ETV Bharat, the former CEC asked, "Why no action is being taken against such culprits whose utterances have violated several sections of the law. Law should have come down heavily on them but nothing of that sort happened...Why? Are people blind?"

Asked why no action has been taken against these people whose utterances violated the sections of the law, "Obviously these people have the blessings of the powers-that-be. The silence is deafening. No action has been taken against these people, not even a word of condemnation. Silence is complicity," says Dr. Quaraishi.

On Sunday, BSP supremo Mayawati expressed concern over the "increasing" use of religion in politics during elections and said the Election Commission must curb this worrying trend, and this happened a day after Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath said the state will witness "80 percent versus 20 percent " election, in a clear reference to UP's roughly 20 percent Muslim population.

To this, Dr Quraishi replied that EC has to be vigilant and come down heavily on any violation and they should not show any softness and laxity. After the announcement of the election schedule, EC becomes in charge of Law and Order and they will take cognizance of such statements and even lesser statements. Expecting action hopefully, said the former EC.

When being asked about the decision by the poll body to ban the public rallies till 15 January keeping in view a huge surge in the cases of Omicron, Dr. Quaraishi added, "Both rallies and public meetings should have been banned altogether. Of course, the poll body has banned the rallies and also they have banned the victory celebrations after the counting on March 10...so they anticipate big rallies and Omicron on the 10 March but not on the 15 January. I fail to understand this."

He further stressed "that anything that gathers ground should be banned".

"All other means of publicity, outreach are different. You call it a rally or a public meeting... Basically, that is the same thing...both attract mass gatherings and as far as the rally is concerned, though it attracts more people.. do you think that when top leaders go and addresses in a public meeting there would be a small crowd?"

"Underscoring the potential outcome that could further deteriorate the health sector given a huge surge in the Omicron cases, the rationale behind banning all public rallies and public meetings seems logical, and an hour of need," he said.

On 8 January, the poll body announced the election schedule for the poll-bound states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur, and Goa.

Dr Quraishi said the primary question that stems after the implementation of the model code of conduct is would these elections be played on the grounds of polarisation and religious divide or on the paramount issues of development, progress is a thing that only time will tell.