The decision of India’s Election Commission to allow Amit Shah to canvass for votes for his party in the ongoing national election has surprised many. The Bharatiya Janata Party official, who is in charge of the party’s election campaign in Uttar Pradesh, was barred by the commission earlier from speaking at poll rallies after his appeal to Jats in Western UP to avenge alleged wrongs done to them raised a storm.
It was a clear case of incitement to violence against Muslims, who ironically were on the receiving end of widespread riots in September last year in Muzaffarnagar and adjoining areas of the state. Six months on, hundreds of Muslim families are still living in refugee camps scared to return home.
But Amit Shah says it is not over yet. He wants to see Gujarat 2002 riots replayed in Uttar Pradesh.
What made the Election Commission to lift the campaign restrictions on Shah? His promise that he would behave in the future. It’s unclear what happens to an FIR, or police case, filed against Shah for making the inflammatory remarks. Will that be withdrawn on the basis of the commission’s good behavior certificate for Shah?
A man’s past deeds and not his promises for the future are a true barometer of his character. Shah’s past record should have dissuaded the Election Commission from allowing him to continue with the election campaign. Amit Shah was the home minister, or the official in charge of law and order, of Gujarat when he was arrested in 2010 for his involvement in staged police gunfights with criminals.
The commission’s thinking seems as naive as that of Hindi film song writer Salim Khan. The father of Bollywood heartthrob Salman Khan recently advised Muslims to forget Gujarat 2002 and move on. He said he thinks Modi has learned a lesson and turned into a good guy. So Muslims can now trust him and vote him to power.
Salim Khan has overlooked the fact that Narendra Modi himself has not apologized for the mass killings on his watch as the chief administrator of Gujarat and has been quoted as saying he cannot be held responsible, for example, for the death of a puppy run over by a car in which he happened to be a backseat passenger.
Yes Muslims need jobs, better health care and education, but Mr. Khan they need to be alive to achieve all this.
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