 "'Nothing to get offended': CPRF responds to woman constable's incendiary remarks going viral, says speech delivered at debate contest")
Responding to an incendiary speech of a woman constable that went viral on social media, the CPRF on Saturday issued a statement saying she was speaking at a debate competition and there was “nothing to get offended please” (sic). CRPF spokesperson M Dinakaran said constable Khushboo Chauhan was tasked to speak against the topic ‘Can terrorism in the country be tackled effectively while observing human rights?’ at the 2019 National Human Rights Commission debate competition on 27 September. “We in CRPF respect human rights unconditionally. She was asked to speak against the motion and has delivered a speech with brilliance, but some portion should have been avoided. She has been suitably advised. We appreciate the respect and concern for CRPF,” Dhinakaran said. “It is not understood how the video got leaked. The CRPF officially didn’t release it. The speech was delivered in a debate competition and nothing to get offended please,” said the CRPF spokesperson. Chauhan, in the clip that went viral, purportedly criticised the protests against Afzal Guru’s hanging in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and said human rights cannot be respected while fighting extremism and terrorism.
#ViralVideo: Listen to this fiery speech by young CRPF cop warning India haters#IndiaFirst LIVE at https://t.co/4fqxBVUizL pic.twitter.com/SPtY2J9oPF
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) October 4, 2019
Chauhan added that those who support human rights did not support the armed forces when Pulwama terror attack occurred and when jawans were killed in Chhattisgarh. “When anti-national slogans were raised in the JNU by an anti-national, then they stand with him.” Chauhan said, in an apparent reference to former student leader Kanhaiya Kumar. Proclaiming herself to be the “daughter of India” and a member of the armed forces, she added, " I declare that we will enter houses from where people like Afzal (Guru) come and kill. We won’t let wombs develop from which people like Afzal emerge.” She also purportedly called upon people of the country to pierce Kanhaiya Kumar’s chest with the national flag. Remarks slammed on social media Pratik Sinha, co-founder of AltNews, called Chauhan’s remarks “rabid hate speech.”
A rabid hate speech is @IndiaToday's idea of India first? Since when is an officer calling for killing of fetuses in the womb, and pushing a pole in to @kanhaiyakumar's chest the idea of 'India First' @aroonpurie? What sort of India is this? One that calls for murder on TV? https://t.co/3e13WAgTjc
— Pratik Sinha (@free_thinker) October 5, 2019
Actor Swara Bhaskar called Chauhan’s comments “hate speech” and said the remarks were “irresponsible and scary”.
This is not a fiery speech. This is hate speech, threat of murder, taking a dump on Gandhi, the Supreme Court, our Constitution, our Laws, human rights.. all from a uniformed personnel! This is irresponsible & scary @IndiaToday nothing to gloat about! #StopNormalisingMobViolence https://t.co/twt1xH84fe
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) October 5, 2019
Author Devdutt Pattanaik tweeted:
Impact Shorts
More ShortsSnehesh Alex Philip, senior associate editor at ThePrint, tweeted:
Most unfortunate by a @crpfindia constable in uniform. She is calling for killing of fetuses in womb, pushing a pole into Kanhaiya's chest. This is no fiery patriotic speech but hate speech. CRPF is made up of those who sacrifice a lot 4 country and not by this lady's thinking https://t.co/OGCl0Tu5lb
— Snehesh Alex Philip (@sneheshphilip) October 5, 2019
Asaddudin Owaisi called the speech “a different level of impunity”:
This speech is a different level of impunity. Elizabeth Warren and Lindsey Graham would be happy to hear it. https://t.co/wEhRFDX8PT
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) October 6, 2019
Gaurav Gogoi, Congress MP from Assam, while accusing Chauhan of “forgetting the rule of law” also hit out at the media for “mainstreaming hate”. With inputs from ANI
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