The J-K unit of BJP on Monday served a show-cause notice to its senior leader and former MLC Vikram Randhawa after a video in which he purportedly made derogatory remarks against Kashmiri Muslims appeared on social media, triggering protests and demands for his arrest.
BJP's J-K unit president Ravinder Raina said Mr Randhawa's remarks are totally against the basic principles of the party, which believes in respecting all faiths.
Mr Randhawa is accused of making disparaging comments over the incidents of celebration of Pakistan's win over India in a cricket match in the ongoing T20 world cup in Dubai.
"The video came into the notice of the party and a show-cause notice was immediately served to him by the disciplinary committee as such a language cannot be tolerated," Mr Raina said.
In the show-cause notice, the BJP disciplinary committee headed by Sunil Sethi asked Mr Randhwa to explain his position within 48 hours.
"A video has gone viral in social media in which you are seen making absolutely reckless and hatred promoting remarks against a particular community. This is unacceptable to the party and has brought disrepute and embarrassment to the party," the notice read.
Mr Raina said he was personally hurt after hearing the comments of Mr Randhawa "that are totally against the basic principles of the party which believes in respecting all faiths and taking everyone along in accordance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan of ''Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas".
He said Kashmiri Muslims are nationalists at heart and only a small group of 50 or 60 people celebrated the Pakistani win. "The government has taken appropriate action against them in accordance with the law of the land," Mr Raina said.
Lauding the people of Kashmir, Mr Raina said thousands of youths are serving in police, army and paramilitary forces and are taking enemy bullets on their chests in the service of the nation, while many more including mothers and daughters are upholding the national flag despite the grave risk to their lives.
"Randhawa has to tender an apology for his remarks or get ready for strict action...His comments are in his personal capacity and have nothing to do with the party," Mr Raina said.
After the video was shared by senior PDP leader Naeem Akhtar on his Twitter handle, party president Mehbooba Mufti asked why no action has been taken against the BJP leader.
She said "students are charged with sedition for merely cheering the winning team", in a reference to the action on students who were seen in celebratory videos that appeared after Pakistan's win in the T20 match against India
The alleged remarks of Mr Randhawa triggered protests in the Jammu region.
Senior advocate Sheikh Shakeel requested the Inspector General of Police, Jammu to book the BJP leader for his "hate speech" and hurting the sentiments of the Muslim community.
Mr Shakeel alleged that Mr Randhawa had openly threatened a government official and even used derogatory words against Union Minister Jitendra Singh some time back.
"We appeal to the IGP to take serious note of the video and book him immediately for hurting the sentiments of the Muslims," he said.
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