Kapil Mishra, blamed for inflammatory speeches that sparked Delhi riots, made Delhi BJP vice-president

Mishra has courted several controversies, from initiating chants of 'Desh ke gaddaron ko' at a pro-CAA rally to leading an agitation against Shaheen Bagh protests.

File image of BJP leader Kapil Mishra | Photo: ANI

New Delhi: Kapil Mishra, whose decision to hold a pro-Citizenship (Amendment) Act rally in Northeast Delhi’s Jaffrabad is said to have triggered the 2020 communal riots in the national capital, was appointed vice-president of the BJP’s Delhi unit Saturday.

The appointment comes days after an organisational overhaul in the Delhi unit, as part of which Bansuri Swaraj, daughter of late BJP leader and former foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, was announced as the state unit secretary.

Mishra Sunday thanked the BJP leadership in a tweet, saying that “adopting a small worker with such affection is only possible in the BJP”.

एक छोटे से कार्यकर्ता को इस प्रकार स्नेह पूर्ण अपनाना केवल भाजपा में ही संभव है

प्रधानमंत्री @narendramodi जी का अत्यंत आभार 🙏

राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष @JPNadda जी का आभार इस ज़िम्मेदारी के योग्य मुझे समझने के लिए

गृहमंत्री @AmitShah जी का आभार जिनके मार्गदर्शन में दिल्ली बड़े… https://t.co/790WGmcWCZ

— Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishra_IND) August 5, 2023

Mishra, a former cabinet minister in Delhi during the Arvind Kejriwal government, has courted several controversies during his political tenure, from initiating chants of ‘Desh ke gaddaron ko‘ at a pro-CAA rally to leading an agitation against the Shaheen Bagh protests.

He was once inducted as water resource minister in the Arvind Kejriwal government of Delhi but was removed after a falling out. Subsequently, he joined the BJP and unsuccessfully contested the Delhi assembly elections on a BJP ticket. He is also the founder of ‘Hindu Ecosystem’ — an online platform to mobilise the youth for causes such as ‘gau raksha’, ‘ghar wapsi’ and campaign against ‘love jihad’.

Apart from Bansuri Swaraj, Harish Khurana, who was the spokesperson of the party, has also been made a secretary. Khurana is the son of former Delhi chief minister Madan Lal Khurana.

Councillor Shikha Rai was appointed as one of the spokespersons. Rai was nominated by the party as its mayoral candidate in the civic body but she withdrew later. AAP candidate Shelly Oberoi was elected the city’s Mayor.

In March, the party had made Bansuri Swaraj co-convenor of the Delhi BJP’s legal department.

The appointments were made by state president Virendra Sachdeva.

Congratulating the new team, Sachdeva said several women had been given place in the state unit and that they would continue to raise issues of public importance. “The new team will work towards strengthening the state unit further,” he said.

Bansuri is currently working as the additional advocate general of Haryana, and also runs a private practice.

“Her first step in politics was taken when she was made the co-convenor of the legal cell and now she will be part of everyday organisational work. Whether she will contest elections is something the central leadership will decide,” said a senior BJP leader.

BJP MP and former state unit chief Manoj Tiwari also congratulated the new team and said that the “young and energetic team especially with a focus on women leaders shows the commitment of the party towards women empowerment”.

Inputs from Unnati Sharma