Saffron flags put up for Ram Navami removed by authorities marring celebrations by devotees
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India 
16 April, 2024
Case Summary
In the then Congress-ruled state of Rajasthan, Saffron flags and posters were removed on Ram Navami. The incident occurred after the Congress party filed a complaint against the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). Congress accused VHP of putting up the flags without permission, violating the Model Code of Conduct. VHP argued that the flags were for Ram Navami and not for political purposes. Hindu organisations expressed discontent over the removal. Congress candidate Prata Singh Khachariyawas denied filing any complaint, suggesting confusion with BJP flags. Municipal authorities removed the flags overnight, prompting BJP MLA Bal Mukundacharya to demand their reinstatement, stating they were for Ram Navami. Suresh Upadhyay of the VHP called the complaint baseless and reiterated that the flags were a traditional practice for Ram Navami.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
In several cases, it is seen that the administration/state disallows a religious practice owing to prejudicial orders and concerns, targeted specifically against the Hindu community. Such restriction/prohibition would be considered documented as a hate crime because the orders are often a result of pressure by groups that harbour animosity towards Hinduism and Hindus. Often, the restriction by the authorities is driven by bias, hostility, or prejudice against the specific community being stopped from holding a religious practice, by pressure groups that harbour animosity towards Hindus, intrinsic to their faith. Since practices are intrinsic to the faith of the Hindus, such prejudicial restriction is considered a curtailing of the fundamental rights of the Hindu community. In several cases, for example, the authorities ban a Hindu religious practice due to pressure from groups opposed to the religion. In other instances the prohibition is selectively enforced against one religious group (Hindus) while others are allowed to proceed. There are still other cases where the authorities preemptively restrict a religious practice by Hindus because those who hold animosity towards Hindus may get “provoked” leading to them being violent, thereby assuaging the sentiments of those who hold animosity towards Hindus by curtailing the religious rights of Hindus. Such acts and orders are prejudiced, indicating discriminatory motives owing to the capitulation to groups that harbour animosity towards Hindus and therefore, would be categorized as a religiously motivated hate crime since the original pressure leading to the order itself is a result of hatred/bias/prejudice/religious hate against Hindus. In this case, the Municipal authorities in Jaipur, Rajasthan removed the Saffron flags that were put up in the city on Ram Navami. The flags were removed after a complaint was filed by the Congress party, citing a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. Ram Navami is a significant Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Rama, a revered deity in Hinduism. Moreover, saffron flags are a powerful emblem of Hindu identity due to their spiritual, cultural, and historical importance in Hinduism. Congress cited the violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) as the reason for demanding the removal of the saffron flags. Here it is important to note that MCC is a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India for the conduct of political parties and candidates during elections. Here, the government caved into Congress's demands and forbade Hindus from celebrating their festival for political reasons, which in itself is deemed hinduphobic. Given the initial motivation for the imposition of this anti-Hindu diktat was hatred for Hindu religious practices, this can be called a religiously motivated hate crime and has been added to the tracker.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
State and Establishment
Perpetrators Range
N/A
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
