How can a Modi-govt-funded event call for 'removal of Muslims'? asks The Quint
The mahotsav was marked by a series of provocative demands as Suresh Chavhanke, chief of Sudarshan TV, reportedly claimed during the event that "25% Muslims in India presently are infiltrators. They are Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, and Afghanis"
The Indian government provided Rs63 lakh in taxpayer funds for a controversial religious gathering where speakers openly called for the "mass deportation" of Muslims and the establishment of a "Hindu Rashtra," revealed an investigation by The Quint.
The funding, confirmed through a Right to Information (RTI) query, was granted by the Union Ministry of Culture to Sanatan Sanstha for the 'Sanatan Rashtra Shankhnad Mahotsav' held at Delhi's Bharat Mandapam on 13–14 December last year.
The event, which also received support from Delhi's Tourism Ministry, featured high-profile attendance from several parliamentarians, including Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Shripad Naik, and Sanjay Seth.
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According to the RTI response received by The Quint, the Union Culture Ministry sanctioned the substantial sum to an organisation that platformed incendiary rhetoric against the country's largest minority group.
While the union government has confirmed the payment, Delhi's Tourism Ministry, which also backed the event, is yet to respond to the query.
The two-day mahotsav was marked by a series of provocative demands. Suresh Chavhanke, chief of Sudarshan TV, reportedly claimed during the event that "25% Muslims in India presently are infiltrators. They are Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, and Afghanis. Bring NRC and remove them from India."
He furthered the rhetoric by saying, "There needs to be a cap on the Muslim population."
Other speakers, including BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay, allegedly suggested using "fear of the government" to force conversions to Hinduism.
"If every Hindu converts one person, we will be able to achieve our target," Upadhyay was quoted as saying, while also urging businessmen to "make their employees convert."
The event also saw calls for an "offensive strategy" to transform India into a "constitutional Hindu Rashtra."
The point isn't whether Rs60 lakh is a big amount or a small one. The question is - why is taxpayers' money being used to fund an event that calls for the cleansing of a community?
Rahul Dewan of the Hindu Fund allegedly made alarmist claims, stating that if certain chemicals were mixed in religious offerings (laddoos), "lakhs of Hindus will die," fuelling the tensions.
The Quint's Political Editor Aditya Menon raised ethical and constitutional concerns regarding the use of public funds to fund such an event.
The journalist questioned why taxpayer money was utilised to bankroll a platform that advocated for the "cleansing" of a specific community and challenged the secular foundations of the Indian Constitution.
"The point isn't whether Rs60 lakh is a big amount or a small one. The question is - why is taxpayers' money being used to fund an event that calls for the cleansing of a community?"
He also questioned, "Why should taxpayers foot the bill for an event that goes against the Constitution by demanding a Hindu Rashtra?"
