Date: 07-04-2019

Source: https://www.news18.com/news/politics/mayawati-makes-open-appeal-to-muslims-dont-let-your-votes-get-split-by-siding-with-congress-2092463.html

BSP leader Mayawati landed herself in controversy when she attempted to seek votes using religion. At a joint BSP-SP rally at Deoband, Mayawati urged the Muslim community not to let their vote get divided between Congress and the alliance. She said “I want to make an open appeal. It’s not the Congress but the alliance which is fighting the BJP. Congress wants to ensure the alliance does not win. Congress is trying to help the BJP in this election; Muslims in Saharanpur know that our Muslim candidate had been decided earlier. But Congress also fielded a Muslim,”

Election commission, it was reported later, censured Mayawati, banning her from contesting for 48 hours.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/azam-khan-barred-by-election-commission-from-campaigning-for-72-hours-maneka-gandhi-for-48-hours-ove-2023525

The week under review was also noteworthy for the actions that Election Commission of India took against the following candidates for violation of Model Code of Conduct, all in the context of hate and communal speeches:

• Yogi Adityanath: Banned from campaigning for 72 hours for his ‘Ali vs Bajrang Bali’ and ‘green virus’ remarks in Bareiily and Meerut  
• Mayawati: Banned from electioneering for 48 hours for her appeal to Muslims, not to split their votes 
• Menka Gandhi: Banned from campaigning for 48 hours for her threats to Muslims in Sultanput 
• Azam Khan banned from campaigning for 72 hours for his misogynistic remarks against rival Jaya Prada.

Date: 15-04-2019

Source: https://indianexpress.com/elections/jaya-prada-wears-khakhi-underwear-says-azam-khan-bjp-seeks-action-lok-sabha-polls-5675615/

SP leader from Uttar Pradesh Azam Khan stirred controversy when he made derogatory remarks against BJP’s Jaya Prada. Khan said that that Jaya dons Khaki underwear; referring to the RSS’s uniform.
BJP and National Commission for Women have requested ECI to take cognizance of the matter.

Date: 13-04-2019

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/city/bengaluru/after-muslims-bjp-leader-eshwarappa-targets-christians/videoshow/68859251.cms

BJP leader from Karnataka, Eshwarappa stoked controversy when he said in an election rally that Muslims and Christians have not been given ticket by the BJP because they are not loyal to the nation. Deploying the old Hindu right wing trope of minorities being disloyal, he said “whoever protects the interest of the nation and our culture, such candidates should be selected from their respective districts. People who don’t have regard for the nation or for they party, if tickets are given to them, what will happen to the nation or the party?”

Date: 12-04-2019

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/lok-sabha-elections-2019/uttar-pradesh/news/sakshi-threatens-to-curse-those-who-wont-vote-for-him/articleshow/68857881.cms https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/uttar-pradesh/named-in-34-cases-sakshi-maharaj-claims-to-be-saint/articleshow/68864554.cms

BJP MP from Unnao Sakshi Mahraj has threatened to curse people that did not vote for him. Sakshi Maharj – with some 34 criminal cases reportedly registered against him – who calls himself a saint, threatened dire consequences including curse befalling those that did not vote for him. He said “I am a monk, if you make me win, I will win; otherwise will do bhajan and kirtan in temple; but today I am here to seek your votes. I am a sanyasi (monk) and I am here to beg at your door, if you refuse a sanyasi, I would take away the happiness of your family and will curse you”.

Date: 12-04-2019

Source: https://indianexpress.com/elections/maneka-gandhi-muslim-voters-uttar-pradesh-viral-video-lok-sabha-elections-5672539/

Senior BJP leader and Union minister Maneka Gandhi was reported having told Muslim audiences in her election rally in her Sultanpur constituency (UP) that if they did not vote for her, they should not expect her to do any work for them, suggesting a quid pro quo. “if Muslims don’t vote for me, don’t come to me for work”, she is heard saying, in video footage that went viral on social media. She is also heard saying, it is easy to find out who voted and who did not, going on to say, “I have already won this election, the rest is up to you”, issuing a clear warning.  

Date: 11-04-2019

Source: https://scroll.in/latest/919700/bjp-will-implement-nrc-across-the-country-amit-shah-reiterates-in-west-bengal

BJP President Amit Shah said that his party will ensure that National Register of Citizens (NRC) is implemented all across India and infiltrators are driven out except Hindus, Buddhist and Sikhs. Shah was addressing an election rally in Darjeeling (West Bengal) when he promised, if reelected, “we will implement NRC in the entire country”. Currently NRC – that seeks to update the citizens register – is only limited to Assam. He went on to say, “we will remove every single infiltrator from the country. All Hindus and Buddhist refugees…we will find each of them, give them Indian citizenship and make them residents here”, thus clearly seeking to address Hindu and Buddhist voters at the expense of the rest of the population. Shah’s remarks implicitly single out Muslim and Christian as infiltrators and undeserving of citizenship. According to the new citizenship law sought to be legislated by BJP, all except Muslim refugees from neighbouring countries are entitled for grant of citizenship.

Date: 09-04-2019

Source: https://indianexpress.com/elections/yogi-adityanath-congress-sp-bsp-ali-bajrang-bali-uttar-pradesh-elections-5667140/?fbclid=IwAR0ibDGtMzqm8KJNheei-fvaQkIyu-YVlf4wmQOevHSiB_mrhFuMGxtQNP4

BJP Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath has claimed “agar Congress, SP, BSP ko ‘Ali’ par vishwaas hai toh humein bhi ‘Bajrangbali’ par vishwaas hai”. (if Congress, SP, BSP has faith in Ali, we have faith in Bajrang Bali). Adityanath was ddressing a rally in Meerut ahead of Lok Sabha elections. He went on to say that the opposition knows the supporters of Bajrangbali won’t spare them in the elections, because of which they are shouting ‘Ali, Ali’. Ali is a Muslim figure, Bajrang Bali is another name for Hanuman, Hindu God. This is not the first time that the Adityanath, BJP  Chief Minister of UP has sought to nakedly communalise electioneering. Last year he was reported as saying, again in the context of election campaigning “ aap Ali ko rakh lo….Hamare liye Bajrang Bali kafi hain“. (You keep Ali, Bajrang Bali is enough for us).

Date: 09-04-2019

Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/india/congress-responsible-for-creation-of-pakistan-says-narendra-modi/articleshow/68791722.cms

Prime minister and BJP leader Narendra Modi seeking to inject communal colour to election campaigning, blamed Congress for creation of Pakistan. Prime minister was addressing a rally in Latur Maharashtra, where he asked the people to dedicate their vote for “those who carried out the airtstrikes”, referring to recent air strikes targeting Balakot in Pakistan. He said “Had Congress leaders acted wisely during the pre- independence era, this Pakistan would not have born”. BJP and Hindu right wing has a history of blaming senior leaders of the Congress party for being too soft on Muslims which they say resulted in division of the country and creation of Pakistan in 1947. But to be doing so during election campaigning is surely seeking to benefit from communalising the campaigning.

Date: 05-04-2019

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/yogi-adityanath-says-congress-infected-by-green-virus-2021239

Seeking to polarize voters, senior BJP leader and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath claimed recently that Congress was infected by the “green virus”, green understood as a reference to Muslims. At an election rally in Bareilley (UP), Adityanath spoke about Congress president Rahul Gandhi filing his nomination from Kerala’s Wayanad parliamentary constituency, and claimed that only green flags were visible at the time, not Congress. He concluded “Congress is suffering from this green virus, it has got infected by it”. Adityanath has a track record of making wild allegations and communalising statements, also during election campaigning.