The othering of the Muslims by the right wing and its political arm, the BJP, has been a successful tool for their political gains for over a decade, compelling even the Congress party to follow them to survive in the system, and has now reached one of its next levels, as hardly a day passes without a BJP leader spewing poison targeting the Muslims
Its leaders, from Uttar Pradesh to West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, can be seen vying to emerge as the best in delivering hate so that people may feel the Muslim community is a group to be abhorred or attacked wherever they are found, as some previous incidents in the northern part of India have shown.
The trend of the right-wing to portray the Muslim community as a subversive group, which sociologists are viewing, comes out of the sheer inferiority of Hindutva, which, unlike Islam, lacks uniformity in worship, language, dress code, and other aspects. The recent hullabaloo over Hindi imposition on the southern states can be seen as part of its wider agenda to establish a singular identity.
The recent hate-delivering campaign was triggered by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath, who had no hesitation in supporting the police officer in Sambhal, who suggested that if Muslims fear unwarranted incidents during Holi—which falls on a Friday this year, the day of Friday prayers for Muslims—they should stay inside their homes.
The remark gained significance as Holi coincides with the second Friday of Ramzan, a fact that BJP leaders have seized upon to make divisive statements.
Raghuraj Singh, a BJP leader from Uttar Pradesh, suggested that Muslim men should wear hijabs made of tarpaulin to avoid any inconvenience during Holi. Singh, who chairs the high-power advisory committee of the state's labour and employment ministry with a rank equivalent to a junior minister, said that since Muslim women wear hijabs and mosques are covered with tarpaulin, Muslim men could adopt a similar measure to protect themselves.
He argued that Holi is an annual festival and that restrictions should not be placed on the way colours are thrown, further asserting that the religious sensitivities of others should not inconvenience Hindus.
In West Bengal, BJP leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari made inflammatory remarks, vowing to physically remove Muslim MLAs from the assembly once the party comes to power in the state, which is scheduled to hold elections in 2026. His comments were condemned by the Trinamool Congress, which labelled them as hate speech.
Adhikari, who was suspended from the assembly in February until the end of the budget session, had previously distanced himself from the BJP’s inclusive slogan 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' by insisting that the party should only support those who stand with them. His remarks resonated with BJP supporters frustrated by the party’s underwhelming performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where it secured only 12 of the 42 seats in the state.
Adding to the controversy, BJP MLA Ketki Singh from Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, demanded a separate medical wing for Muslims in the proposed medical college, arguing that such segregation would ensure the safety of Hindus. Singh, the wife of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former wrestling federation chief accused of sexual harassment, justified her demand by insinuating that Muslims could contaminate food, a claim rooted in communal prejudices.
She also suggested that if Muslims were uncomfortable sharing space with Hindus, they could be treated separately in a dedicated facility. Her comments aligned with those of Raghuraj Singh, as she echoed his suggestion that Muslim men could use hijabs to protect themselves from Holi colours and should stay indoors if they found the festival objectionable.
