IN a letter written to the Delhi police commissioner on February 16, 2021, Brinda Karat, Polit Bureau Member and K M Tiwari,  Delhi state secretary of CPI(M) demanded  immediate arrest of Kapil Mishra, a leader  of the BJP for spreading enmity through a toolkit created by him on a social media platform ‘Telegram’, called the “Hindu  Eco System.”

The letter referred to a news item published in News Laundry, a news portal, on February 15, 2021. The subject of the report is a large group using the Telegram platform called the “Hindu Eco System.” (https://www.newslaundry.com/2021/02/15/we-infiltrated-the-telegram-groups-of-the-bjp-leaders-online-network-to-see-what-they-do).

This group gives a comprehensive picture of what can be appropriately described as a communal hate manufacturing tool kit. The letter said, “The owner, creator and commander of this group is BJP leader Kapil Mishra. There are reportedly 20,000 members. A perusal of the messages shows several levels of communal messaging mainly targeted against minorities. There are also numerous malicious fake news messages which seek to defame the farmers' protests. There is also an attempt to link the anti- CAA protests with the farmers' protests calling it ‘anti- Hindu’.”

The letter pointed out that right under the nose of the home ministry and the Delhi police, a communal hate speech making serial offender, Kapil Mishra is reportedly creating and messaging vicious propaganda. His messages are full of hatred and provoking feelings of enmity against a section of citizens of India on grounds of religion. He is closely linked to the RSS also as can be seen in his promotion of RSS literature. Brinda and Tiwari asked, is this the reason the Delhi police is being so selective in its actions?

They further stated, that the Delhi police which is under the home ministry, has been particularly pro-active against toolkits in support of the farmers' protests. An FIR has also been registered after the tweet by the teenage, globally recognised environmentalist, Greta Thunberg on grounds of a “toolkit” in support of farmers. The police found it to be seditious and also under Section 153a for “creating enmity among groups.” The police went to Bengaluru, arrested a 21-year environmentalist, Disha Ravi and had her sent to jail. These atrocious and condemnable actions to intimidate and bully young people who are expressing solidarity with farmers is an affront to the constitutional guarantee of civil liberties and democratic rights. There is nothing remotely seditious in the toolkits used and contrary to the charge of causing enmity, the toolkits call for unity.

However, Kapil Mishra is allowed to roam scot-free; both the leaders demanded that he should be arrested for spreading enmity between different communities. “His actions are anti-national and appropriate legal clauses should be invoked to take action against him,” the two leaders pointed out.