Over 65 organisations and 190 civil society activists from 22 states have called upon the Union government to halt the proposed Dharm Sansad scheduled for December 19 in Uttar Pradesh. In an open letter to the President, the groups expressed concerns about the gathering, alleging that it is being organised by individuals previously charged with hate crimes and inciting violence.
"A group of people already charged with multiple crimes, and whose prior activities have drawn national and international condemnation as well as resulting in violence" is reportedly organising this programme – and yet it continues to receive tacit government support,” the letter noted.
The letter also identifies individuals like Yati Narsighanand, Rakesh Tomar, and Darshan Bharati as key organisers, citing their past involvement in hate speech incidents and violence. They highlight the December 2021 Dharm Sansad in Haridwar, organised by some of the same individuals, as a precedent for potential violence and incitement to genocide. That event drew widespread national and international condemnation, including from retired Chiefs of the Army Staff, senior government officials, judges, and opposition parties, as well as from other countries and the international media.
“It is notable that some of these individuals - such as Rakesh Tomar and Devendra Pawar (aka Darshan Bharati) - have been accused of more than ten incidents of hate crime and violent attacks on minorities in Uttarakhand in 2023 and 2024, but remain out of jail and facing no action. On the contrary, reporter Mohammad Zubair is facing serious criminal charges just for sharing a video of hate speeches by these people – in what appears to be an attempt by the Uttar Pradesh government to further protect them,” the letter states.
The groups criticised the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand for their alleged inaction against these individuals, despite multiple hate speech offenses and violations of bail conditions. They also point to the organisers' continued public calls for violence and discrimination, including calls for Hindus to arm themselves and dehumanising language directed at Muslims. The organisers have even set up a website and held public press conferences to promote the event.
The open letter demands a response from the Union government, requesting they take several actions. These include stopping the program from taking place, directing the state governments to cancel the bail of the accused, ensuring compliance with Supreme Court orders on hate crimes, and compensating victims of attacks instigated by these groups.
“On October 28, 101 retired senior officials from the Constitutional Conduct Group wrote an open letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking the cancellation of the event. Given the vile nature of this event and the constant efforts of groups like this to incite violence in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and other states, as well as the open connivance of the government with the organisers, if this event goes ahead the likely result will be large-scale violence on this pretext with the police standing by,” the letter stated.
The signatories include representatives from the following organisations:
AFDR
AICCTU (Karnataka)
AIPWA
AISF
All India Peace and Solidarity Organisation (Delhi)
Ambedkar Students Forum- ASF (Wardha, Maharashtra)
Anti-Jindal & Anti-POSCO movement (Bhubaneswar, Odisha)
APCR (Tamilnadu)
Bebak (Muzaffarnagar)
Bebak Collective
Bharat Bachao (Hyderabad)
Bharat Jodo Abhiyan
CDA
Centre for Social Research and Empowerment (Nagpur)
Centre for Struggling Women (CSW)
Chasi Mulia Sangh, Odisha
Chetana Aandolan
CPDR-TN
CPI(M)
Democratic Teachers Initiative
Disha Foundation
Disha Shramjivi Adhikar Manch (Jaunpur, UP)
DYFI (Kerala)
Forum Against Oppression of Women
FSMM
GASS, Odisha
Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan
Gothra Mahasabha ( Kerala)
Hum Foundation ( Hyderabad)
Indian Community Activists Network ( ICAN)
Jagrut Kashkari Sanghthan ( Raigad, MH)
Jan Jagaran Shakti Sangathan
Jan Vikas Shakti Sanghthan ( Bihar)
Jan Sangharsh Morcha
Rihai Manch
Janmukti Sangharsh Vahini, Aara (Bihar)
Khet Majdur Kisan Sangram Samiti (Jaunpur, UP)
Khudai Khidmatgar
Kisan Sewa Sangh (Nagpur)
Movement 21 (Nagpur)
MNREGA Majdoor Union, Varanasi
Muslim Auraton ka Manch
NAPM
National Alliance for Justice, Accountability, and Rights (NAJAR)
North Nagpur Senior Citizens Forum
People for Aravallis Group
People's Alliance (UP)
Peoples Science Movement (Dehradun)
PIPFPD (Delhi)
Pratinidhi Sanstha (Kushinagar, UP)
Private Institute Teacher's Unions (CITU) Raipur, Chhattisgarh
PUCL
Rashtriya Muslim Bahujan Parishad (Nagpur)
Sahayatrika (Thrissur, Kerala)
Saksham Welfare society Wardha
Samta Yuva Manch
Sangatin Kisan Majdoor Sangathan (Sitapur)
Shramjivi Sanghthana (Latur, MH)
Samanaantar Sanvad (Dehradun)
Samvidhan Bachao Desh Bachao Abhiyan (Lucknow, UP)
Sanjhi Virasat
SASC
Srijanatmak Manushi Sanstha (Delhi)
SSVS
Uttarakhand Insaniyat Manch (Dehradun)
Uttarakhand Jamiat Ulema Hind (Dehradun)
Uttarakhand Mahila Manch