On 19th December, Delhi University’s Hindi professor Apoorvanand expressed dismay over Allahabad High Court’s judgment dismissing the Masjid Committee challenge in the Gyanvapi-Kashi Title Dispute. In the judgment, the court said that the Places of Worship Act does not bar civil suits. In his post on X, Apoorvanand noted, “The CJI could have stopped it. Instead, he, using his clever logic, opened the floodgates to drown secularism in India. He will be remembered for it for a very, very long time if this country, as have known it and which made him lives.”
Allegations of Involvement in inciting violence in anti-Hindu Delhi Riots
Apoorvanand is not just a “secular” Hindi professor from Delhi University. He has been named in anti-Hindu Delhi riots by accused Gulfisha and witness GAMA accusing him of being involved in the larger conspiracy leading to the violence in February 2020. In the chargesheet filed by Delhi Police in the matter, the witness, GAMA, pointed out that one of the accused, Gulfish and her team, including Devangana, Natasha, Shahdab, Suhail, and Tasleem, instructed the youth and women of the area, to collect chilli powder, sticks, empty bottles, acid and stones. Notably, these items were used as weapons against the Delhi Police during the riots.
Burqa-clad women led by Gulfisha and her team blocked the road near Jafrabad Metro Station. Devangana, Natasha, and Kalpana Kaur incited the women present at the scene and delivered provocative speeches. Later in April, Suhail, one of the accused, called one of the witnesses named XXXX in the chargesheet. Suhail asked the witness to keep Gulfisha Gul and Shahdab in their house for a day.
Here, the witness mentioned Apoorvanand, who had promised that if the police caught Gulfisha and Suhail, he would arrange for lawyers and money. He further asked them not to name Devangana, Natasha, and the girls from the “Pinjara Tod” organisation who instigated the violence. GAMA added that by learning about the conversation, it was clear to them that Apoorvanand and others were allegedly involved in inciting the violence in Delhi.
Gulfisha made similar allegations in her statement. In an OpIndia report on that matter based on a Zee News report, it was mentioned that according to Gulfisha, Delhi University professor Apoorvanand has been the mastermind behind the conspiracy to incite riots in Delhi. A Burqa-clad Khwateen team had been prepared for the riots. Gulfisha claimed that Apoorvanand had issued them an advance heads-up presaging riots.
Furthermore, Gulfisha added that Professor Apoorvanand lavished praises on the students after riots ensued in the national capital. However, he asked them not to name him or the ‘Pinjra Tod’ group if they were caught by the police for stoking riots. The professor had sent us a message for the riots, following which we were asked to collect stones, empty bottles, acid, and knives and the Khwateen members were asked to stuff dry red chillies, Gulfisha said.
She added that Apoorvanand told them that the Jamia Coordination Committee(JCC) was going to organise a movement at 20-25 places across Delhi, and the purpose of the movement was to portray the Indian government as an oppressive regime that discriminates against Muslims. “This will only happen if riots occur under the guise of the protests,” Gulfisha quoted Professor Apoorvanand.
Apoorvanand has a history of anti-Hindu sentiments
Apoorvanand has a history of anti-Hindu rhetoric. In May 2019, left-wing propaganda portal The Wire published an op-ed by Apoorvanand where the author called the Hindu slogan “Jai Shri Ram” an “expression of hooliganism”. Apporvanand, in his article, extended support to the bizarre incident when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had referred to ‘Jai Shri Ram’ chants as abuses hurled at her.
He further insulted the Prime Minister of India by calling him an ‘instigator’. The hate is so strong that Apporanand fails to remember that while insulting the PM, he also disregards India’s most eminent position of authority.
Moreover, the professor, in his hatred, went a step ahead and referred to Veteran BJP leader LK Advani as a ‘bahurupiya’ (imposter). He believed that ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans were used as a political narrative by the BJP to create Muslim hatred amongst the Hindus.
In April 2023, he came out in support of Muslims and claimed that the idea of “Ghazwa-e-Hind” was evoked by Hindutvavadis to justify their violence and no Muslim talks about it. In a post on X quoting Yogendra Yadav, where he talked about the ideas of Khalistan, Gazwa-e-Hind and Hindu Rashtra, Apoorvanand said, “Found it disappointing that while discussing Khalistan and Hindu Rashtra, it is thought necessary to bring GEH. Has any Indian organisation, or any individual given a call for it like the earlier two? GEH is evoked by Hindutvavadis to justify their violence. No Muslim talks about it.”
There are several social media posts and op-eds where Apoorvanand expressed his anti-Hindu sentiments.
The attempts to hide behind the veil of selective secularism must be condemned
India is a diverse and pluralistic society. It is often forced on Hindus to believe that the principles of secularism in such a society serve as a cornerstone for fostering harmony and understanding among different religious communities. However, we often witness instances where those who have been accused of being involved in inciting violence against Hindus find opportunities to cloak themselves in the rhetoric of secularism, especially at a time when Hindus are legally seeking the restoration of their temples.
In India, everyone has the right to practice the religion freely and without fear of persecution. It is one of the fundamental tenets of the Constitution of India. Hindus, like any other religious group, have the legal right to reclaim and rebuild their places of worship that were once subjected to acts of vandalism or violence in the past. The matter of Gyanvapi is a legitimate pursuit that is guided by legal frameworks. It is essential to recognise and respect the path Hindus have chosen as it represents the true nature of secularism and the law-abiding heart of the Hindu community.
Sadly, individuals like Apoorvanand, who have a tainted history of allegedly promoting violence against Hindus, are attempting to champion the cause of secularism. It has to be noted that no one can use secularism as a convenient shield that can be raised and lowered based on personal or political expediency. If you are committed to the cause, you must stay committed to equality, religious freedom and coexistence. Otherwise, you are not but a hypocrite.
Individuals like Apoorvanand do not hold any moral high ground to assert their so-called commitment to secular ideas. By showing bias, they undermine the very principles they purport to uphold.
Notably, the call for the restoration of Hindu temples is not an affront to secularism. It is a legitimate exercise of religious rights as per the law of the land. Those who want to comment on such matters should first learn to distinguish between genuine efforts to protect religious freedoms and attempts to break the fabric of a plural society like India.
Those who have been involved in inciting violence against Hindus should be held accountable for their actions. They should not be allowed to hide behind the veil of selective secularism.
