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    Delhi violence: After Manoj Tiwari & Gautam Gambhir's stand, some BJP leaders back Kapil Mishra

    Synopsis

    Delhi BJP in-charge Shyam Jaju told ET that he did not agree with the view of some party leaders that Mishra is responsible for the violence.

    kapil-mishra-agenciesAgencies
    Tiwari had blamed Mishra’s hate speech during the Delhi elections as one of the reasons for BJP’s drubbing and said he should be removed from the party.
    New Delhi: BJP Delhi unit appears to be a divided house with many senior party leaders opposing the stand taken by state president Manoj Tiwari and East Delhi MP Gautam Gambhir holding party leader Kapil Mishra responsible for hate speech that allegedly incited violence in the national capital. Some party leaders questioned the role of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal as well as Congress and charged that they have been complicit by not taking adequate steps to deal with the issue.

    BJP national vice president Shyam Jaju, who is in-charge of Delhi unit, told ET that he does not agree with the view of some party leaders that Mishra is responsible for the violence. “Those leaders who are saying so (that Mishra incited the violence) are wrong. His words were aimed at establishing peace. I disagree with the charge that he was encouraging violence.”

    Tiwari and Gambhir have been virtually isolated in the party on this issue.

    Asked about Mishra’s speech, Gambhir had told a news agency on Tuesday, “No matter who the person is, whether he is Kapil Mishra or anyone else, belonging to any party, is has given any provoking speech then strict action should be taken against him.”

    Tiwari has blamed Mishra’s hate speech during the Delhi elections as one of the reasons for BJP’s drubbing and said he should be removed from the party. Mishra’s provocative remarks that people should gather at Maujpur in North-East Delhi to give “an answer to Jafrabad” came on February 23. He had also warned that if Jafrabad streets are not cleared within three days, people will take to the streets. Violence erupted soon thereafter.

    Tiwari is MP from North-East Delhi, the area where this violence and vandalism has taken place. Ten people have been killed while shops, vehicles and property has been damaged. A mosque was set on fire on Tuesday. Several journalists have been beaten up by the rioters.

    BJP national secretary RP Singh, who was the party candidate from Rajendra Nagar in the recent Assembly election, defended Mishra. He attacked Kejriwal and Congress leaders for no abetment in the violence that started on Monday.

    “Why has Kejriwal not made any announcement of Rs 1 Crore for those killed as he always does in such cases? He is trying to communalise the whole issue. Congress leaders had also visited the site (Shaheen Bagh) earlier. The Chief Minister should work for establishing peace. He should meet heads of all religions. AAP MLA Amanathullah Khan is the Wakf Board Chairman. He should appeal (to Muslims) to maintain peace,” Singh told ET.

    He added that those supporting the rioters will be exposed.

    Most leaders that ET talked to maintained that situation will be controlled by Wednesday morning.

    Asked if BJP has asked its leaders to practice restrain and not make any inflammatory comments, Jaju said, “This is not the time for directives. Our agenda now is to establish peace. We are going to hospitals and meeting the injured.”

    Ramesh Bidhuri, BJP MP from Delhi South, said while questions are being raised about Mishra’s remarks, nobody is paying attention to what AIMIM Chief Asadudin Owaisi and AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan have said about the violence in Delhi.

    “People should maintain peace. They should not behave as if they are in Pakistan,” Bidhuri said.


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