Complaint filed against BJP MLA who wants to fight ‘love jihad, conversions’

A written complaint was lodged with police on Wednesday against Rudrapur BJP MLA Raj Kumar Thukral, who allegedly announced a fight against “love jihad, conversions and suppression of Hindus

Published on: May 30, 2018, 22:07:47 IST

Hindustan Times, Nainital | By Neeraj Santoshi

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A written complaint was lodged with police on Wednesday against Rudrapur BJP MLA Raj Kumar Thukral, who allegedly announced a fight against “love jihad, conversions and suppression of Hindus”.

This is not the first time Rudrapur BJP MLA Raj Kumar has courted controversy. In March, a video allegedly showed him beating up Dalit women. (Video Grab/HT)

Local resident Munish Kumar filed the complaint against the BJP MLA for allegedly making provocative statements against a particular community, said Vikram Rathore, in-charge of Ramnagar police station.

“We will investigate the matter following which appropriate action will be taken,” the police officer said.

Thukral had announced a fight against “love jihad, conversions and suppression of Hindus” days after a police officer saved a Muslim youth from being attacked by a mob after he was found with a Hindu girl.

The Muslim youth met the girl near Garjiya Devi temple at Ramnagar in Nainital district on May 22. Locals caught them and alleged that they were found in a compromising position. The locals later called members of Hindu right-wing organisations who started thrashing the youth. Sub-inspector Gagandeep Singh came to his rescue.

Reacting to the incident, Thukral asked: “When Hindus don’t go into a mosque, when they don’t have a right to enter a madrasa, why did they go to Garjiya temple with an intent to disturb Hindu ethos?”

Munish Kumar, who is co-convener of the Samajwadi Lokmanch, said he filed the complaint as inflammatory statements by an MLA can disturb communal harmony and spark tension in the area.

“According to the constitution, ours is a secular country. Being an MLA, he should protect the constitution. But by making such inflammatory statements, he is doing the reverse,” he said.

This is not the first time Thukral has courted controversy. In March, a video allegedly showed him beating up Dalit women. Earlier this month, he was accused of threatening and abusing a toll plaza staffer near Kichha in US Nagar district.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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