On citizenship law protesters, BJP MLA says can finish them off in one hour

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Updated: Aug 11, 2020 06:08 IST

Amid countrywide protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), BJP’s Kaithal MLA Leela Ram Gurjar has stoked a fresh row by declaring that India does not belong to Mahatma Gandhi or Jawaharlal Nehru, but to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

In a a video clip, which has gone viral on social media, the two-time MLA is heard warning those who are opposing CAA and NRC.

“Jo log jhooth faila rahe hai main in logon ko batana chahta hu ki Miya ji ye jo aaj ka Hindustan hai woh Gandhi aur Nehru ka nahi Narendra Modi aur Amit Shah ji ka Hindustan hai. Agar ishara ho gaya to ek ghante me safaya kar denge, aur aapki yeh galatfemi door ho jayegi (Those who are spreading lies, I want to tell them that Miya ji, this is not the India of Gandhi or Nehru. It is the India of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. We will wipe out within an hour if asked to),” he said addressing a gathering in Kaithal during a programme organised in support of CAA.

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“I want to ask why are you wasting your mental energy on social media and news channels,” he said adding that lies are being spread by some people.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Gurjar clarified that he did not want to hurt anybody but was giving a message to the illegal immigrants and terrorists, who took the advantage of previous Congress governments and entered India.

“My statement was being distorted. My intention was not against any person and religion but it was against the people, who want to cause damage to our country,” Gurjar said.

“In my statement I wanted to give a message to the people, who hate our country, that the India has changed now and they will get a befitting reply if they will try to harm its hard earned peace, harmony and social fabric as they did during Congress rule,” he added.

A BJP leader, on the condition of anonymity, said that Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala has talked to Gurjar over phone and asked him about the reality behind the viral video and his controversial statement. “In response, Gurjar said that his intention was not to hurt anybody but the issue was being exaggerated in the media,” he said.

Gurjar, who remained INLD MLA from Kaithal in 2000, had joined BJP before the assembly elections in October this year and defeated Congress’s Randeep Singh Surjewala in a nail-biting contest.