“Goli Maaro” Slogan At Amit Shah Rally in Kolkata
KOLKATA: A controversy erupted on Sunday after a video went viral showing a group of people carrying BJP flags and going in a procession in central Kolkata raising the provocative “goli maaro” slogan.
The video surfaced on a day Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah addressed a rally in central Kolkata’s Shahid Minar Maidan where he strongly defended the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). The group of processionists shown in the short video clip was heard saying “‘Desh ke Gaddaro Ko, Goli Maaro s*** ko.'”.
Video footage from the spot showed men, dressed in saffron and waving BJP flags, shouting the slogan, which roughly translates as “shoot all those who betray the nation” while on their way to the rally. A policeman could be seen shepherding the crowd.
The inflammatory slogan was first chanted at a public rally addressed by Union Minister and BJP leader Anurag Thakur on January 27 in Delhi’s Rithala area. Thakur had allegedly egged on his audience to respond to the slogan.
The aftershocks of the Delhi violence — said to be fuelled by hate speeches — still continuing, the hate spewing “goli maaro” slogan was heard near a rally in the heart of Kolkata this evening.
The rally was addressed by Union minister Amit Shah, who spoke in favour of the contentious citizenship law and accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of “triggering riots” and “burning trains” to stop the law.
Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee, whom Amit Shah had attacked thrice in his speech, soon hit back. Rather than coming and preaching #Bengal @AmitShah you should have explained and apologised for failing to save more than 50 innocent lives in #DelhiViolence right under your nose.
Mr Shah, Bengal is better off without bigotry and hatred that BJP is trying to spread. Mr Shah, Bengal is better off without bigotry and hatred that BJP is trying to spread.Hate speech by a section of senior BJP leaders and ministers was seen as a key reason for the violence in Delhi that flared up earlier this week.
In Kolkata, the circumstances reflect the pattern. For weeks, the city has been witnessing several Shaheen Bagh-inspired sit-in protests against the CAA. The Chief Minister has been one of the vocal opponents of the law, and held several marches against it in Kolkata and the outskirts.
She has also stopped the exercise of the National Population Register – which the opposition says will contribute towards the National Register of Citizens. The NRC, taken together with CAA, would be used to target Muslims, the opposition has alleged.
Meanwhile, Even as there has been no FIR till date on the slogans by the MoS, the same slogans were heard a number of times even a month after first being raised. On February 29, a video emerged on social media where a group of men is seen raising ‘shoot traitors’ slogans in Delhi’s Rajiv Chowk metro station.
On Sunday, ahead of former BJP president and Home Minister Amit Shah’s rally in Kolkata, BJP workers held a march with BJP flags and caps, in which the same slogans were raised.
(Bureau Report with Agency Inputs ).
