BJP MLA Om Kumar's divisive remarks spark outrage

Lucknow: In a contentious statement that has ignited widespread controversy, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Om Kumar from Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, has drawn significant criticism for remarks perceived as divisive, targeting a specific religious community within his constituency.

During a speech at the event, Kumar is heard cryptically saying that people of a certain religion, in Nehtaur, did not vote for him, and as a result, he would not work for them.

Amid sloganeering for Kumar and cheers from the audience he stated, “Now I will work for the one who votes for me. Everyone has voted for us. People from every caste have voted for us. Only people of a certain religion have polarized, gathered in one place, only so that they can get a license for hooliganism from Modi-Yogi. We will not let them get that license. I will work for only those who voted for our party.”

These remarks suggest that Kumar intends to prioritize the needs of his Hindu supporters over those who did not vote for him, raising concerns about his commitment to serving all his constituents equally, regardless of their religious or political affiliations.

Soon after the video of the speech surfaced on the internet, critics flagged their concern saying that these remarks suggest that Kumar intends to prioritise the needs of his supporters over those who did not vote for him.

Kumar’s statement comes when he is serving his third term as the MLA of Nehtaur constituency, having won the 2017 and 2022 elections on a BJP ticket. In 2017, Kumar swept the majority votes and defeated the Indian National Congress candidate Munnalal Premi by 23,151 votes.

However, in the recent 2022 elections, he narrowly defeated his opponent Rashtriya Lok Dal opponent Munsi Ram by a margin of just 258 votes. Although Kumar has not named Muslims in his statement, it is pertinent to note that this is not the first time that BJP leaders have made divisive statements.

In 2018, a video of former Union minister and BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal telling corporators to serve only the Hindus who supported him, excluding Muslims surfaced. The video then went viral on social media.

Recently, Devesh Chandra Thakur, the newly elected JD(U) MP from Sitamarhi in Bihar, sparked controversy on Monday, June 17, by claiming that Muslims and Yadavs did not vote for him in the Lok Sabha elections and declaring he would “not do any work for them.”

He stated, “Yadav aur Musalman (Muslims) hamare yahan aate hain to unka swagat hai. Chai pijiye, mithai khaiye. Lekin main aapka koi kaam nahi karunga (Yadavs and Muslims who come to me are welcome. They can have tea and sweets. But I will not do any work for them),” IE quoted Yadav as saying.

Nitish led JD(U) in a part of BJP chief Narender Modi-led NDA, which has formed the Union government in alliance with the party after it failed to secure a majority in its third term.