Ladakh BJP Veteran, 74, Pays Price After Son Elopes With Buddhist Woman

The BJP in Ladakh has expelled a senior leader after his son eloped with a Buddhist woman and married her.

Nazir Ahmad, 74, state vice president of the Ladakh BJP, has been expelled from the primary membership of the party after his son reportedly eloped with a Buddhist woman more than a month ago.

In a statement, the BJP's Ladakh unit said action against its senior leader was taken after he was given an "opportunity to clarify about his involvement in the sensitive issue of elopement of a Buddhist girl by his son."

The expulsion order was issued by Ladakh BJP chief Phunchok Stanzin after an executive meeting of the party on Wednesday.

The BJP in a statement said elopement is "unacceptable to all religious communities in Ladakh as it jeopardises communal harmony and unity among the people of the region".

The couple married more than a month ago and since then they are untraceable.

The expelled BJP leader said his family was also against the marriage of his son, Manzoor Ahmad, with the Buddhist woman, and he has no idea where they are staying for the past one month.

Mr Ahmad, a veteran BJP loyalist, said he was away on Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia when his son and the woman married in a court.

"My son is 39 years old and the woman he married is 35. I believe both had performed nikah way back in 2011. Last month, they performed court marriage when I was away on Haj pilgrimage," the expelled BJP leader said.

Mr Ahmad said that before he was expelled from the party, he was told to resign as he was unable to trace his son.

"I don't know why they blame me for the marriage of my son when our whole family was against it. I have tried to trace him. I visited Srinagar and several other places to find him," Mr Ahmad said.