‘Condemn such incitement to violence’: Ex-armed forces chiefs write to PM, president on hate speech

Five former chiefs of staff of the armed forces and more than 100 prominent citizens on Friday wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing concern about Hindutva leaders calling for violence against Muslims at recent events in Haridwar, Delhi and other places.

Former Navy chiefs Admiral (Retd) L Ramdas, Admiral (retd) Vishnu Bhagwat, Admiral (retd) Arun Prakash, Admiral (retd) RK Dhowan and Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi (retd) were among the bureaucrats, journalists, lawyers, and economists who signed the letter.

“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.”

At the event, one of the organisers, Swami Prabodhanand from the Hindu Raksha Sena, had said, “Just like Myanmar, the police, the army and every Hindu must pick up arms and organise a cleansing [of Muslims].”

Another speaker, Sadhvi Annapurna or Pooja Shakun Pandey, repeated the call for genocide: “If you want to finish off their population then we are ready to kill them. Even…

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