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BJP stages demonstration, demands dismissal
ENRAGED OVER the statement of Minister of State for Haj and Minorities Welfare Haji Yaqoob Qureshi, district (North) unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded his dismissal from the council of ministers.
ENRAGED OVER the statement of Minister of State for Haj and Minorities Welfare Haji Yaqoob Qureshi, district (North) unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded his dismissal from the council of ministers.
The minister recently at a rally in Meerut announced a reward of Rs 51 crore for killing the Danish cartoonist, who has sketched Prophet Mohammad.
The BJP’s demand for Yaqoob’s ouster came a day after Bajrang Dal lodged a formal complaint against him at the Kotwali police station.
President of the district (north) unit of BJP Rakesh Sonkar with his supporters staged a demonstration at the District Magistrate’s office to express outrage against the minister.
Senior leaders, including BJP MLAs Satish Mahana and Salil Bishnoi, former MP from Billhaur Shyam Behari Mishra, Ravindra Patni and Surendra Maithani along with others were present on the occasion.
Earlier, the BJP activists took out a procession from the party office at Naveen Market, which after traversing through several areas reached the DM office.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, BJP leaders demanded Yaqoob’s expulsion. “In gross violation of the Indian Constitution, the minister in a public rally incited members of a particular community,” Sonkar said.
Demanding immediate dismissal of the minister, BJP MLA Satish Mahana said legal proceedings should be initiated against Yaqoob on the grounds of “national treachery”.
The BJP leaders also urged the Governor TV Rajeshwar to expel the minister.
BJP district general secretary Suresh Gupta read out a memorandum addressed to the governor and handed it over to the city magistrate.
Meanwhile, in a separate demonstration, members of the southern unit of the party expressed their outrage against the minister by burning his effigy near the Govind Nagar police station.
The BJP activists assembled at Chawla Market and reached Govind Nagar crossing in a procession. Radhey Shyam Pandey, district (southern unit) president of the party led the procession.
“A person holding a constitutional post cannot make such baseless statements. Owing responsibility for such disgraceful act, the chief minister must immediately expel him,” Pandey said.
Another senior BJP leader Anoop Tewari criticised the violent demonstration by Muslims in the State capital.
“The attack on the BJP office and other places amply proves that Muslims do not consider themselves to be a part of the national mainstream,” Tewari added.
