People's Democracy

 SAHMAT Condemns Togadia’s Hate Speeches

The Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (SAHMAT) issued the following statement on New Delhi, November 19, 2003.

THE report carried in The Telegraph of November 17, 2003, of the statements made by Praveen Togadia at a meeting in Ahmedabad is extremely disturbing. The irrational declarations of this fundamentalist constitute a grave and continuing threat to the democratic fabric of our society and nation.

Togadia viciously attacked secular forces working for justice for the victims of the Gujarat carnage and the families of those who perished in the Sabarmati Express at Godhra. He singled out Teesta Seetalwad as a prime target of his hate speech and declared that she should be prevented from entering Gujarat.

The SAHMAT strongly condemns this barely veiled call to the irrational following of the VHP, Bajrang Dal and Sangh Parivar to take the law into their own hands and pursue individuals as the object of murderous hate campaign.

The 82 years old Mr Rawal who lost his wife and son in the Godhra incident has repeatedly said that he is being pressurised and subjected to threat. The SAHMAT demands that the Gujarat government and administration ensure that protection is provided to him immediately.

The SAHMAT demands that Praveen Togadia should be restrained from making offensive public statements targeting minority communities and individuals working for peace and justice. If he does not desist from his current hate campaign, the SAHMAT demands that action be taken against him according to the law of the land.