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| Neighbours pouring water to "purify" street to the hotel |
Even as the Gujarat High Court has adjourned to November 17 the hearing in a dispute between the owners of a new hotel in Anand and their neighbour, a prominent oncologist, over alleged illegal construction, the advocacy group National Confederation of Human Rights Organisations (NCHRO) has taken strong exception to the case pertaining to Hotel Blue Ivy -- co-owned by Hindu and Muslim partners – taking a communal turn.
Amidst news that with residents of the neighbourhood joined a protest, chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’, allegedly making abusive comments against the minority community and washing the road facing the hotel to “purify” it, NCHRO Gujarat chapter, in a statement, said, “A video on social media has surfaced in which a mob can be seen shouting inflammatory and hateful slogans against Muslims. The video is allegedly of Anand, Gujarat, and got viral on October 26, 2021.”
“The anti-Muslim slogans of the mob are being justified by the unverified claims that there were pictures of Hindu Gods and deities on the tiles outside the bathroom in a hotel owned by a Muslim”, the statement said, adding, “Even if this were the case, this is a practice adopted by people to prevent others from defacing walls.”
“In any case”, the statement, signed by Mina Jadav, State president, said, “The hateful, anti-Muslim and bigoted slogans that can be heard in the video, including ‘Dekh ke gaddaron ko, joote maaro saalon ko’ – meaning hit the traitors of the country with shoes, cannot be justified on any grounds.” She called it “a display of unbridled hate against a community by a violent and threatening mob.”
Claiming that “such mobs are emboldened by the government in power, which has been protecting these people at the expense of the victims and the larger society”, NCHRO, condemning the display of “anti-Muslim hate and bigotry”, said, “We urge the government authorities to take action against the perpetrators, who have raised the slogans.” She added, “The video is viral meaning that the perpetrators are acting with impunity, knowing that they won’t face any consequences.”
Interestingly, oncologist Dr Shailesh Shah, who has been leading the protests, has allege that the clearance of the property sale by the Revenue Department is in violation of the Gujarat Prohibition of Transfer of Immovable Property and Provisions of Tenants from Eviction from Premises in Disturbed Areas Act, popularly known as the Disturbed Areas Act. The law, which seeks to prohibit panic sale of property between Hindus and Muslims is known to have been applied on residential areas.
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