Chandigarh, Jun 19 (PTI) The Aam Aadmi Party, the Congress, and the SAD have hit out at the BJP, alleging that the saffron party’s Chandigarh unit president, Jatinder Pal Malhotra, made an “anti-Punjabi” remark and insulted the Punjabi community.
However, Malhotra said he sincerely apologises if any of his remarks have hurt anyone.
Congress workers staged protests across Punjab, demanding action against the BJP leader and seeking an unconditional apology from him. The workers raised slogans against the BJP and its Chandigarh president, Malhotra, and also burned his effigy.
They claimed Malhotra had “actually revealed the deep hatred the BJP leaders nourished for Punjabis”. In Chandigarh, the AAP’s unit protested on Friday, burned an effigy of the BJP leader and tried to gherao the city BJP office here, but police stopped them by setting up barricades.
AAP leader Yogesh Dhingra, who was part of the protest, said, “Chandigarh BJP chief’s statement calling Punjabis ’emotional bloody fools’ is an insult to the entire Punjabi community.” The AAP protesters said Punjabis have made the greatest sacrifices for the country’s independence, guarded its borders, and filled the nation’s granaries, but “insulting Punjabis is reprehensible”.
The protesters said the people of Punjab know how to respond democratically to those who hurt the honour of Punjabis, adding that if the BJP respects Punjab and Punjabis, it should distance itself from the statement and take immediate action against the leader in question.
Facing criticism, Malhotra said the word was not used for the community and accused the rival parties of circulating clipped videos of the sports event to target him. “However, even if anyone felt hurt by my comments, I feel sorry. I was referring to myself at the event and not Punjabis,” Malhotra told the media here. Malhotra said, “I am a Punjabi. I was brought up in Amritsar, and today I live in Chandigarh. I am proud to be a Punjabi and will always remain so.” Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring demanded that the BJP apologise for its Chandigarh unit chief’s remarks. “By calling Punjabis emotional, bloody fools, the BJP has once again exposed its thinking towards Punjab and Punjabiyat. Punjabis are certainly emotional, but not fools. Standing up for our self-respect and rights is our identity,” Warring said.
He said Punjabis are always at the forefront — whether safeguarding the country’s borders or meeting the nation’s food needs — and always stand at the forefront in every crisis. He said the “insult” to the community cannot be tolerated.
Warring questioned the “silence of the BJP leaders from Punjab”, wondering how they could “tolerate such abuse and insult of the Punjabi community”. The PCC president observed that Mahlotra had actually revealed the “real mindset of the BJP that is hostile and hateful towards Punjab and the Punjabis”.
Warring asked the Punjab BJP leaders, especially state president Kewal Singh Dhillon, if they agreed with Malhotra’s remarks about Punjabis.
Shiromani Akali Dal’s Chandigarh unit slammed the BJP leader, asking him to apologise for his remark. Targeting Punjab Congress chief Warring, he said, “The sentiments of Punjabis were truly hurt when Congress divided Punjab, when an attack on Sri Harmandir Sahib took place during Congress rule, and when every possible effort was made to shield those responsible for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Warring has always remained silent on these serious issues.” PTI SUN ASD ASD
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