INDIA: This is the kind of thing that never gets mentioned in discussions of “Islamophobia.” Violence against innocent Muslims is never justified, but opposition to it all too often is used to inhibit and silence discussion of the problems created by this kind of incitement.
“‘Muslims must kill 4-6 persons before dying’: Congress’ new minority cell head Imran Pratapgarhi and his hate-filled ‘shayari’. Details,” OpIndia, June 18, 2021:
…In an attempt to garner minority votes in the 2022 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Congress has tried to capitalise on the popularity of Uttar Pradesh’s Urdu poet-turned-politician Mohd Imran Khan aka Imran ‘Pratapgarhi’ amongst Muslims. On June 3, Congress president Sonia Gandhi appointed Imran Pratapgarhi as chairman of the party’s minority department. He has replaced Nadeem Javed, another young leader from Uttar Pradesh.
Although believed to be in the good books of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Pratapgarhi’s appointment has reportedly generated unease in the party, with many senior leaders expressing concern. Most were of the opinion that Patrapgarhi’s popularity should rather have been used in campaigning and that an experienced hand was required to head the organisation.
As per a TOI report, president All India Muslim Majlis e Mushawarat and Secretary South Asian Council for Minorities Navaid Hamid also expressed shock at the Congress party’s decision. Hamid opined that Pratapgarhi’s appointment reaffirmed the perception that Congress required a “shayar” to “lure” the Muslims, rather than a mature political leader who could advocate for their rights and express their concerns.
Pratapgarhi had joined the Congress in 2019 and unsuccessfully contested the parliamentary elections from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. He had lost the seat to ST Hasan of the Samajwadi Party. He reportedly became a Priyanka Gandhi Vadra favourite once she started paying attention to Uttar Pradesh, Pratapgarhi’s home state.
It is pertinent to note that the Congress’ ‘blue-eyed boy’ has a long list of problematic statements that he has made in the past. Recently, Shehzad Poonawalla, in a series of Tweets shared snippets of old videos where the poet and Congress leader Imran Pratapgarhi can be seen provoking Muslims of all ages to wage a war against India.
‘Kill at least 4-6 people to avenge the death of our people’: Imran Pratapgarhi heard inciting Muslims against India
In the video, presumably from 2019, Imran Pratapgarhi can be seen exhorting Muslims to kill at least 4-6 people to avenge the death of their people. He incites his Muslim followers saying that “It is not acceptable to die in a cowardly manner. To avenge lynching, kill at least 4 to 6 people before you die.”
The Congress leader cheers and encourages children to shout Azadi slogans
In another video, he is seen encouraging young children to chant “Jo Hitler ki chaal chalega, woh Hitler ki maut marega”, one of the ‘Azadi’ slogans, which had became a regular feature during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. In the video, presumably shot during anti-CAA protest at Shaheen Bagh, the Congress ‘poet’, unfettered by the vitriol the children’s impressionable minds were being exposed to, goes on to exhort children to loudly repeat the hateful slogans after him….
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