The frequency with which “desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maaro salon ko” (shoot the traitors to the nation) is being chanted in the national capital ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections (scheduled for February 8) has been rising. The slogan has been shouted by BJP member Kapil Mishra at a pro-Citizenship Amendment Act rally, by Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur at an election rally, and, most recently, by CAA supporters near the Shaheen Bagh protest site in New Delhi.
On Sunday, demonstrators had gathered near the Shaheen Bagh protest site to justify the “goli maaro salon ko” slogan. The incident happened a day after an armed man had entered the peaceful protest site and fired two shots in the air on February 1.
To counter the hate, the peaceful protestors of Shaheen Bagh have come up with a new slogan: “Desh ke in pyaaro par, phool barsao saaro par” (shower flowers on the lovely people of the country). A video of the demonstrators chanting the slogan and flashing the hashtag #GoliNahiPhool (flowers, not bullets) has been widely circulated on social media.
Shaheen Bagh has become synonymous with the countrywide agitation against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens. It has inspired many women across the country to come out and lead peaceful sit-ins continuing for days.
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