Bharatiya Janata Party has served a showcause notice on party leader and state minister Raghuraj Singh for his controversial statement seeking ban on burqa and terming women wearing it of being “from the family of demons”.
Singh has been served notice on the directive of BJP state president Swatantra Dev Singh for indiscipline and making controversial statement, said a BJP statement issued here on Monday.
The leader has been given a week’s time to reply to the showcause notice why he should not be expelled from the party.
The BJP state president said that the party would not tolerate any such comment against women, whether they were Hindu or Muslim.
“BJP always respects women and every party worker and leader will have to respect them. The party will take stern action against the violators,” he said.
Raghuraj Singh kicked off another controversy by demanding a ban on burqas worn by Muslim women. He said burqas were being used by terrorists to conceal their identities, apparently in reference to women protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Shahjamal area of Agra.
Earlier in January, Singh had created a stir by claiming that people raising slogans against Prime Minster Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath would be buried alive. He warned the “handful” of people against saying ‘murdabad’ to the prime minister and the UP chief minister
The BJP leader explained that the tradition of wearing burqa started in Arabian countries and it was not an Indian custom. He added that India should ban the use of burqa, adding that even Sri Lanka had put a curb on it after a series of bomb blasts ripped the country last year, leaving many dead and scores injured.
Reacting to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remark that “youth will hit him (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) with sticks”, Raghuraj Singh said Modi and Yogi Adityanath were icons of the nation and no one would tolerate such talk.
This is not the first time when the BJP leader has made a controversial statement.