BJP minority morcha sends missive to PM
AIUDF demands action against Swami
By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, March 14: A section of tiol leaders of the BJP are in the habit of causing some tongues to wag in Assam, landing the state unit of the party in troubled waters. And of late, BJP leader Dr. Subramanian Swami has been caught on the wrong foot by a morcha of the BJP for talking without keeping a civil tongue in his head.
At a private function in Guwahati yesterday, Dr. Sawami was reported to have said ‘masjids aren’t religious institutions but places for prayers, and as such there’s nothing wrong in dismantling them when needed’.
Such statements, as often as not, land the state unit of the BJP, especially its minority morcha, in troubled waters as they are the ones who have to reply to a lot of questions and protests that keep coming as reaction.
In his guarded response to Dr. Swami’s statement, state BJP Minority Morcha president Mominul Aowal said: “For such controversial statements from a section of tiol leaders of the BJP, the party leaders and workers in the state have to bear the brunt. This is because the state leaders of the party have to specify the people irked by such statements. These are very serious matters that have to be taken care of by the top leaders of the party. Since the BJP is a sincere party, its leaders should be sincere enough while making comments. In this matter, the honourable Prime Minister should assure to the state morcha leaders and workers so as to boost their morale.”
Meanwhile, the Morcha sent a letter each to the Prime Minister, party president Amit Shah, Morcha’s tiol president Abdul Rashid Ansari, party’s Assam observer Dr. Mahendra Singh and Assam in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan in this regard.
Meanwhile, the AIUDF also reacted sharply to Dr. Swami’s statement and demanded nothing short of apology from the BJP leader.
In a statement issued to the press today, AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal said: “Dr. Swami has hurt the sentiment of the people of Assam. Such commul statements, that too before elections, may provoke riots in the state. We, therefore, appealed to the government to take action against the senior BJP leader for making a commul statement.”