Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena MP

There is no denying that communalism bedevils Indian society. Political figures from both the far right and left have fed on the fears of minorities, especially Muslims, for decades. In a column for the party mouthpiece, Saamana, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut wrote that it was not just ‘so-called secular parties’, but also Hindutva forces that used prejudice against minorities to win elections. His words, as translated by The Times of India: ‘Muslims will not be on the path of development if their numerical strength continues to be misused by political parties. Muslims have no future in this country if there is going to be petty politics over their voting power.’

But Raut has a solution to offer. Muslims, he writes, should be denied the right to vote for their own welfare, and members of their community should take the initiative on this. How does an elected representative, even one of a party that has gained electorally from its apparent attempts to bully and bash Muslims and other minorities, publish such a vulgar and perverse view?

The Shiv Sena has been trying to project a more accommodating image in the recent past, such as its promised support for nightlife in Mumbai. But Raut, with his brazen suggestion, has taken the party back to its dark ages.

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