President, PM urged to slam incitement to violence

Citing Haridwar events, a group of citizens write open letter

Expressing concern at the recent events in Haridwar, Delhi and elsewhere openly calling for a “genocide of Indian Muslims” and the targeting of other minorities elsewhere, a group of over 200 concerned citizens, including five former Service Chiefs, in an open letter to President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urged them to condemn such “incitement to violence in no uncertain terms” and “take immediate steps to curb such attempts.”

“In view of the current situation on our borders, any breach of peace and harmony within the nation will embolden inimical external forces. The unity and cohesiveness of our men and women in uniform, including the Central Armed Police Forces [CAPF] and police forces, will be seriously affected by allowing such blatant calls for violence against one or the other community in our diverse and plural society,” the December 31 letter stated.

“We therefore call upon the government, Parliament and the Supreme Court to act with urgency to protect the integrity and security of our country.”