BJP, Congress attack SP over party spokesperson’s remark on Brahmins; FIR registered

The Samajwadi Party (SP) faced ire from both the ruling and Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday after a video of party spokesperson Rajkumar Bhati allegedly making derogatory remarks against the Brahmin community during a recent event went viral.

State BJP president and Union Minister Pankaj Chaudhary called the comments “immoral and vulgar”. “This is not just a statement by one person, but also an expression of the ‘DNA’ of the SP and its corrupt ‘divide and rule’ mentality,” he said.

Mr Chaudhary claimed that while the SP has been “trying to dismantle the social unity of UP for decades, the BJP has been trying to respect all castes”. “We will never allow the plans of these destructive forces to divide society to succeed,” he said.

‘The real character of SP’

Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said, “SP’s true character and disgusting thinking has been revealed once again.”

“Obscene expressions are not only condemnable but also reflect the mentality of the SP,” he said.

State Congress chief Ajay Rai demanded strict disciplinary action against Mr. Bhati. “The abusive language used is highly condemnable. There may be ideological differences in politics, but insulting the entire society is unacceptable. An apology alone is not enough, serious disciplinary measures must be taken immediately. [SP chief] Akhilesh Yadavjihe said.

A case was registered against the SP leader at Kavinagar police station in Ghaziabad under Article 196(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (promoting enmity between groups on the basis of religion).

The FIR was filed following a complaint by BJP leader Ajay Sharma, who had sought strict sanctions against Mr Bhati for allegedly making comments that “hurt religious sentiments”.

Mr Bhati later made an unreserved apology and claimed that certain parts of his speech had been selectively edited to spread “malicious propaganda”.