Letter to Delhi police highlights threats to Eid prayers amidst escalating hostility

By A Representative

Civil rights activist Harsh Mander has written to Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha urging urgent intervention to prevent communal violence in Uttam Nagar ahead of Eid. In his letter dated March 18, Mander warns of “a visible and distressing escalation in hate speech, inflammatory mobilisation, and open threats directed at members of the Muslim community in JJ Colony, Uttam Nagar and adjoining areas.”

He cites multiple videos and social media posts where individuals associated with right-wing organisations openly threatened to disrupt Eid prayers, inflict violence, and “play Holi with blood.”

Mander points to speeches such as one by Lalit Sharma of the Hindu Raksha Dal, who declared, “Neither will Eid be celebrated this time, nor will we allow prayers to be offered. Even if we have to play Holi with blood, we will certainly play Holi this Eid.”

Other videos show protesters chanting “Shoot the traitors of the nation!” and threatening to throw pigs in front of Muslim homes during Eid. Posters announcing Holi celebrations on the date of Eid have also been circulated, deepening fears among residents.

Highlighting Supreme Court directives in Shaheen Abdulla v. Union of India and Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay v. Union of India, Mander reminds authorities of their obligation to register FIRs suo motu against hate speech and incitement. He also invokes statutory powers under the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and the Court’s rulings in Tehseen S Poonawalla v. Union of India that mandate preventive policing against mob violence.

“The consistent judicial position is clear: the law does not suffer from lack of power, but from lack of timely exercise of that power,” he writes.

Mander has requested the police to register FIRs against identified individuals, remove inflammatory posters and flags, impose prohibitory orders if needed, ensure CCTV monitoring, and guarantee peaceful conduct of Eid prayers. He stresses that the responsibility of the state is “not merely to respond to violence after it occurs, but to prevent its very possibility.” The letter concludes with an appeal for “timely, firm, and impartial action” to ensure that Eid is observed in safety and dignity.

This intervention comes amid reports of palpable fear among Muslim residents, some of whom are considering temporary displacement due to threats of violence.

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