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"Pure Poison": Outrage Over Racist, Communal BJP Ad For Jharkhand Elections

Following its release, the JMM and ally Congress filed complaints to the ECI objecting to the “misleading and divisive” video, which violated the MCC ahead of the Jharkhand assembly polls.

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"Pure Poison": Outrage Over Racist, Communal BJP Ad For Jharkhand Elections

On November 16, the official account BJP Jharkhand posted a 54-second ad showing a group of seemingly poor Muslim people arriving at the house of a well-endowed Hindu family that voted for the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and taking over their house. The ad ends with two people from a ‘basti’ telling the house owner, “The people you voted for got these people here. So why should our ‘basti’ be the only one to be destroyed? Your house should be destroyed, too.”

The video posted by the BJP Jharkhand also shows a poster outside the house supporting JMM with a photo of person highly resembling Hemant Soren with “Pure Jharkhand ka kaya palat kar denge (Will change the face of Jharkhand),” written on it.

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Soon after, many slammed the ad for its Islamophobic and racist tones.

Former Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sirca criticized the ad and questioned the Election Commission, “What a terrible anti-Muslim election advertisement by the BJP in Jharkhand. The sold-out Election Commission will, of course, remain mum!”

Mehbooba Mufti, the former Chief Minister of Jammu Kashmir, condemned the “deplorably communal” and “pure poison” ad that “contradicts the foundational ideals and secular fabric of the nation that they choose to be part of.”

Following the release of the ad, the JMM and ally Congress filed complaints to the poll body objecting to the “misleading and divisive” video, which violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) put in place ahead of the Jharkhand assembly polls.

The ad comes after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is notorious for making outrageous and divisive remarks, accused the JMM-led government in Jharkhand of “patronizing” infiltration. “Bangladeshi infiltrators are entering Jharkhand, marrying tribal girls, and grabbing their lands. They know the art of land and love jihad. They are posing a threat to our society and culture,” the CM, who is also BJP’s election co-in charge for the incoming state assembly polls.

Journalist Rana Ayyub observed, “We blame the right wing twitter handles for spewing anti Muslim hate. This is a video approved by the Prime Minister of India.”

“Shocking anti-Muslim election advertisement by India’s ruling BJP in Jharkhand. Such divisive tactics have no place in any democracy,” stated journalist Ghulam Abbas Shah.

“This disturbing Jharkhand election ad shows shabbily dressed Muslims invading a well-to-do Hindu home. It begins with a Hindu child eating breakfast and cuts to a Muslim child robbing the house,” highlighted Alishan Jafri, a journalist.

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Slamming the BJP ad, another X user said, “BJP thought it was brilliant to create an Islamophobic ad portraying Muslims in a dehumanizing way, with men in skull caps and women in burqas ‘taking over’ Hindu homes with Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren’s support!”

Following the public outrage and several requests to the poll body to take action, the Election Commission asked the Jharkhand BJP to take it down as it violated the MCC. The saffron party has also been asked to explain “the alleged violation of provisions of MCC.”

Topics
BJP AD BJP Jharkhand Congress Hemant Soren Himanta Biswa Sarma Jharkhand Jharkhand assembly elections Jharkhand assembly polls Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)

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