Several BJP leaders took part in a march in Mumbai on January 29 christened ‘Hindu Jan Akrosh Morcha’ that sought to stop ‘Love Jihad’ and ‘Land Jihad’, implementation of anti-conversion laws, and a ban on the use of loudspeakers in mosques. Multiple speakers delivered objectionable speeches that can be termed hate speech, where the content ranged from the dehumanization of Muslims to the economic and social boycott of them. The speeches were also laden with misinformation and repeated pejorative references against the Muslim community.
The march started from Mumbai’s Shivaji Park and was attended by thousands, mostly women. Though the speakers stressed that the rally was meant for ensuring the ‘safety of Hindu daughters and sisters’, it turned into an occasion for the amplification of several far-right conspiracy theories that have gained mainstream recognition in recent years.
The event at Shivaji park started around 10.30 am with a woman delivering a speech in Marathi. After a few chants of ‘Jai Sri Ram’, she said if Chhatrapati Shivaji had not been there, all Hindus would have been circumcised. Followed by this, she told the crowd that the rally had been organized against ‘Love Jihad’ and ‘Land Jihad’. As she spoke, minors dressed as Hindu deities and historical figures stood next to her.
Around 11.20 am, the crowd started walking, and the march took the following route: Shivaji Park Police Station Border – Meenatai Thackeray Statue – Shiv Sena Bhavan – Gokhale Road – Jakhdevi Chowk – Babu Bhallan Chowk – Tilak Bhavan – Kamgar Stadium, a distance of about 2.2 kilometres.
The route appears to have been chosen strategically with the message for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena that they have become soft on Hindutva issues. Other than the usual chants of Jai Sri Ram and Vande Mataram, some of the slogans raised from the procession were:
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