Jammu and Kashmir BJP secretary Vikram Randhawa was removed as the state unit found it “unacceptable” that a person occupying a senior position in the party made a statement that hurts religious sentiments.
Vikram Randhawa, the secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Tuesday was removed from all party posts over his provocative remarks calling for violence against Kashmiri Muslims who celebrate Pakistan’s victory over India in the recent T20 cricket world cup match.
A statement issued by the state BJP unit said the decision was taken in view of the “huge impact of the reckless statement” and the “bad name it brought to the party”.
“Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against Vikram Randhwa, State Secretary Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory, in reference to the making of reckless and defamatory remarks against particular community and women,” the statement said.
The Jammu and Kashmir police earlier registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Vikram Randhawa after a widely-circulated video allegedly showed him making derogatory remarks against Kashmiri Muslims following the Pakistan cricket team’s win against India in the T20 World Cup match.
The Jammu and Kashmir unit of BJP also served a show-cause notice to Randhawa. Party chief Ravinder Raina said the former member of the legislative council’s remarks were against the basic principles of the party, which beliefs in respecting all faiths.
A disciplinary committee headed by Sunil Sethi has given an interim report to the party on Randhawa’s speech.
The report has been examined by J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina and it has been decided to agree with interim recommendations made by the disciplinary committee.
Raina also strongly felt that disparaging remarks have been made against women as well as a particular community and have hurt the “religious sentiments of our brothers and sisters”, his party said, adding that the state unit found it “unacceptable” that a person occupying a senior position in the party makes a statement which hurts religious sentiments.
In the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh state, sedition charges were filed against three students arrested in Agra city for supporting the Pakistani cricket team.
In the video tweeted on Monday by a Muslim politician from Kashmir, Randhawa could be seen advocating violence against the Kashmiris who support Pakistan.
“They have an affection for Pakistan in their blood. Agencies are active. They must have taken note of it … Whoever is involved in it, each one of them should be skinned alive,” he purportedly says in the video, which has not been independently verified.
The BJP leader asked why Kashmiris did not celebrate Pakistan’s victory against the “infidel” New Zealand with the same fervor as they did when India lost.
“Yesterday [October 26], Pakistan won from a kafir [infidel] country but Kashmiris didn’t celebrate as if their mother had died. Where had they all died? Why didn’t they cheer for Pakistan,” he says in the video.
The BJP politician said Kashmiri Muslim parents should realise they have given birth to “ungrateful children”.
“Those who are involved in these activities should be treated in a way that their coming generations to remember the result of raising anti-India slogans or pro-Pakistan slogans on Indian soil.”
Randhawa also demanded that the Indian citizenship of those who cheered for Pakistan should be revoked. “I have demanded from the beginning that their [Kashmiri students] degrees as well as their citizenship should be canceled.”
Chandan Kohli, senior superintendent of police in Jammu, told on Tuesday that a case has been registered against Randhawa for “hurting religious sentiments” and “promoting enmity between religious groups”.
The politician was booked following a complaint filed by a Kashmiri lawyer on Monday for “insulting Islam” and “promoting disharmonious feelings” against the Muslim community.
Randhawa, however, has not been arrested yet.
Mehbooba Mufti, the former chief minister of the region, asked why the BJP politician has not been arrested for his open call to violence while Muslim students from the region were charged with sedition for cheering for Pakistan.
A statement released by the BJP on Tuesday said Randhawa has been “relieved” of all positions in the party. The BJP had earlier issued a show-cause notice against him and sought his apology.
