Lucknow: Two days after he was convicted for his involvement in a case related to the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, BJP’s Khatauli MLA Vikram Saini advised women to apply henna at home on the occasion of Karwa Chauth, claiming that Muslims with such shops have other intentions — “love jihad”.
The Muzaffarnagar units of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal had put up posters around the city congratulating Hindu women on Karwa Chauth and advising them to provide employment to “their own people” and “those who themselves celebrate the festival”.
Saini had got bail in the riot case on the same day he was convicted.
“Muslims are opening multiple mehendi shops. Women are getting mehendi applied by Muslim youths at these shops. This is wrong. They have other intentions — love jihad. Nothing more than that,” he said Thursday when asked about these banners.
The BJP legislator alleged that “many such cases” were reported which is why he advised that henna be applied at home, “or at the beauty parlours opened by our sisters and daughters”.
“There is no need to go to the awaaras [vagabonds].”
In addition to the posters, the VHP and the Bajrang Dal had set up mehendi camps at 13 places where Hindu women applied henna to those celebrating Karwa Chauth.
A banner at one of these mehndi centres reads, “Apna tyohaar, apnon ko rozgaar, jihad par prahaar [our festival, employment for our people and attack on jihad].”
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‘Anything can happen in anger’
According to a Times of India report, VHP members also organised a lath puja (worship of sticks) and threatened to thrash anyone found indulging in “wrongful activities”.
When asked about the lath puja, Saini said “only those holding lathis could comment about it”. “Anything can happen in anger. If someone misbehaves with our sisters and daughters, then lathis can clash,” he claimed.
He further said that those participating in Hindu festivals with a clear heart are welcome, and only those who have ill intentions are barred.
“I want to give a message that these things should be done together. You should be ready to apply gulaal [colours] on our festival of Holi and we will respect Eid. You should respect our Diwali and light 11 diyas [earthern lamps] and celebrate the festivals together,” he said.
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Saini’s conviction
Saini was sentenced to a two-year imprisonment in a case lodged against him and 27 others for violence that broke out between Hindus and Muslims at Kawal village in 2013. Two groups had indulged in provocative communal slogans and stone-pelting.
The killings of two Jat youths in Kawal village and a Muslim man had triggered riots in Muzaffarnagar and then the violence spread to other towns in August and September 2013.
A special court found 11 of the convicts, including Saini, guilty for rioting and rioting with a deadly weapon, criminal intimidation, assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty among other charges.
In its order, in possession of ThePrint, the court handed them two-year jail and slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on each of them. Saini was, however, acquitted in another related case in which he was booked for delivering a provocative speech in March 2013.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)
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