The recent acts of terror in France have shocked the world community, which has resulted in the free world countries following democratic principles to stand in solidarity with the European power. India has in no uncertain terms voiced its support for France and stated that it stands shoulder-to-shoulder in France’s fight against Islamist terrorism, a menace which India too, like almost all countries, has to unfortunately fight. One would expect that all Indians will stand by the government’s stand, particularly on issues relating to foreign policy. However, some political forces and a section of people have not been able to rise above petty religious nationalism.
In line with the same, Congress MLA Arif Masood on Thursday organised and led a protest in support of Islamism, the kind which led to the beheading of Samuel Paty and others in France. The protest in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh witnessed the wholehearted participation of over two thousand Muslims, as they stormed the roads with religious, extremist and supremacist sloganeering. The protest, in essence, was organised to demonstrate the offence which Muslims had taken to the crackdown which French President Emmanuel Macron initiated recently in his country to deal with Islamists and terrorists.
Arif Masood, Congress’ MLA from Bhopal Central had organised and led the protest against French President Emanuel Macron. On Twitter, the Congress MLA said that thousands of Muslims had assembled at Iqbal Maidan in Bhopal on Thursday to protest against the French President for speaking ill against Prophet Muhammad. It is important to note here that not once has Macron used even slightly offensive language when speaking about the prophet of Muslims.
At the protest, Arif Masood demanded that the Union government ask the Indian Ambassador in France to register a stern protest against the “anti-Muslim” stand of the Macron government. He accused Macron of supporting offensive cartoons of Prophet Muhammad and intentionally hurting the sentiments of Muslims around the world.
#फ्रांस के राष्ट्रपति द्वारा पैगंबर सल्लल्लाहु अलैहि वसल्लम के बारे में अपशब्द कहे जाने को लेकर मेरे द्वारा इक़बाल मैदान में कार्यक्रम किया गया जिसमें हज़ारों की संख्या में मुस्लिम समुदाय के लोगों ने अपना विरोध दर्ज कराया!#WeLoveMuhammadﷺ@ShayarImran #OurProphetOurPride pic.twitter.com/IPq8wnRCmg
— Arif Masood (@arifmasoodbpl) October 29, 2020
भोपाल के इक़बाल मैदान में भीड़ इकट्ठी कर नियम तोड़ने पर विधायक आरिफ मसूद एवं अन्य करीब 2 हज़ार लोगों के विरुद्ध मामला दर्ज किया गया… #FranceBeheading #franceattack @JournalistVipin pic.twitter.com/kp9dZO1lrH
— News24 (@news24tvchannel) October 29, 2020
Rightfully so, a complaint has been lodged against the Congress MLA and others for organising a massive rally of more than 2,000 Muslims, which resulted in the fragrant violation of Covid-related social distancing norms. Meanwhile, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Thursday made an appeal to Indian Muslims to boycott French products. It must be mentioned that Muslim countries across the world are calling for a boycott of French products, with some of them even advocating violence against the French people.
In Mumbai, Islamists went a step ahead and pasted several pictures of French President Emmanuel Macron on many roads of the city, including those in Nagpada and Bhendi Bazar area. Cars and people were seen plying over the pictures pasted on the roads, a sight which could have serious foreign policy implications. Training guns against the Maha Vikas Aghadi government of Maharashtra, BJP National Spokesperson Sambit Patra probed, “Government of Maharashtra, what is happening in your government? India stands with France today. The PM of India has pledged to fight against France against the terrorism that is happening in Jihad France. Then why insult the French President on the streets of Mumbai?”
महाराष्ट्र सरकार,
ये आपके सरकार के राज में क्या हो रहा है?
भारत आज France के साथ खड़ी है ..जो जिहाद फ़्रान्स में हो रहा है,उस आतंकवाद के ख़िलाफ़ हिंदुस्तान के PM ने फ़्रान्स के साथ मिल कर लड़ने की प्रतिज्ञा की है।
फिर मुंबई की सड़कों पर फ़्रान्स के राष्ट्राध्यक्ष का अपमान क्यों? pic.twitter.com/kb7PCCEY4S— Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) October 30, 2020
India was among the very first countries to unequivocally condemn the personal attacks which were mounted against French President Emmanuel Macron. India’s Foreign Ministry in a statement said, “India strongly deplores the personal attacks in unacceptable language on President Emmanuel Macron in violation of the most basic standards of international discourse”. Moreover, following yesterday’s terror attack in Nice, France, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the same, and stated that India stood with France in its fight against terror.
I strongly condemn the recent terrorist attacks in France, including today's heinous attack in Nice inside a church. Our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and the people of France. India stands with France in the fight against terrorism.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 29, 2020
Meanwhile, the Congress Party has not even condemned the recent spate of terror stacks in France, and instead, its MLAs and cheerleaders, in cahoots with Islamists, are attempting to mount an aggressive anti-France and anti-Macron campaign in India too. This shows how the Congress, in a bid to not alienate its Muslim vote bank, has abandoned basic decency of coming out in the open and condemning acts of terror.
