PM Imran Khan questions Modi's silence over calls for genocide of Muslims in India

• PM calls on international community to take action against extremist Modi govt in India.
• Says on Twitter govt's silence on "hate speech" conclave raises questions.
• PM says Modi's extremist agenda is a real and present threat to peace in region.

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday slammed the Narendra Modi-led Indian government for its continued silence on the "hate speech" conclave, which called for the genocide of Muslims in India.

"The continuing silence of Modi govt on the call at an extremist Hindutva summit in December for genocide of minorities in India, especially the 200 million Muslim community," the prime minister said in a series of posts on Twitter.

The violent hate speeches were made during the “Dharma Sansad” held at Haridwar, Uttarakhand, from December 17-19, 2021.

The premier said the Modi-led government's silence, despite the calls for genocide, begged the question whether the BJP govt supports this call, as he noted that it was high time the international community took note and acted.

The prime minister said that under the extremist ideology of the BJP Modi government, Hindutva groups have targeted all religious minorities in India.

"The extremist agenda of the Modi government is a real and present threat to peace in our region," PM Imran Khan said.

As the premier tweeted, the Supreme Court of India decided to take up a case related to the hate speeches, including open calls for genocide made at the conclave, NDTV reported.

"We will take up the matter," Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said, as quoted by the media outlet.

According to Time of India, as many as 200,000 Muslims gathered in the Bareilly city last week and offered themselves for what they called “mass sacrifice” in protest against the hate speeches.

Pakistan slams Hindutva leaders

Pakistan, on December 27, deplored Hindutva leaders' calls for Muslim genocide in India and lamented New Delhi's inaction over the matter.

To express Pakistan's serious concerns over the calls for Muslim genocide, the Indian Charge d’ Affaires was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said it was highly reprehensible that Hindu Raksha Sena’s Prabodhanand Giri and other Hindutva figures who called for ethnic cleansing of Muslims have neither expressed any regret nor has the Indian government condemned or taken any action against them so far.

Indian police initiate probe

Indian police said in December they had launched an investigation into an event where Hindu hardliners called for mass killings of minority Muslims.

A speaker at the gathering told the crowd that people should not worry about going to jail for killing Muslims, according to a video.

"Even if just a hundred of us become soldiers and kill two million of them, we will be victorious [...] If you stand with this attitude only then will you be able to protect sanatana dharma (an absolute form of Hinduism)," the woman said.

The meeting in the northern holy city of Haridwar was attended by at least one member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP.

Prabodhanand Giri — the head of a fringe Hindu group who is often photographed with senior BJP members — called for a "cleansing" and for those present to be "ready to die or kill".

"Like Myanmar, the police, politicians, the army, and every Hindu in India must pick up weapons and do this cleansing. There is no other option left," he is heard to say.

— Additional input from AFP