Desh Ke Gaddaro Ko, Goli Maaro Saalo Ko

This Hindi slogan roughly translates to, “What should be done with the country’s traitors? Shoot the bastards.” While rhetorically posed in the format of a question‐and‐response rallying cry, it is a direct incitement to lethal violence. In the Indian context, the slogan is usually directed at Muslims, designating them as “traitors” and urging both state and non-state actors to execute them on sight.

Background and Context

The slogan first gained prominence in December 2019, when Delhi BJP leader Kapil Mishra led a rally in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), a law widely criticized as discriminatory against Muslims, and used the chant to threaten ongoing anti-CAA protesters. In the following weeks, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Anurag Thakur repeated the slogan at an election rally in Rithala, Delhi. Since then, it has become an incendiary rallying cry used to incite hatred and violence against Muslims.

Impact and Harm

This slogan brands Muslims as traitors, deserving of execution. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has documented how such calls for violence, often framed as patriotic rhetoric, provide cover for state and vigilante brutality against minority and vulnerable communities.

Variants and Alternative Forms

देश के गद्दारों को गोली मारो सालों को