The district president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Muslim Minority Morcha, Usman Ghani in Bikaner, Rajasthan, found himself at the centre of a political storm after openly criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks during an election gathering in Rajasthan.
Ghani’s criticism of PM Modi’s comments, which were purportedly Islamophobic, led to his expulsion from the party positions.
In response to PM Modi’s inflammatory remarks describing Muslim minorities in India as “infiltrators” and “those who have more children,” Ghani expressed disappointment and condemned the alleged hate speech.
He stated that when he “goes to Muslims to seek votes” for the BJP, the community members discuss the Prime Minister’s words and “look for answers” from him. He further stated that the Jat community in the state is upset with the BJP and has voted against it in Churu and other constituencies.
He further predicted that the BJP might suffer losses in Rajasthan, specifically estimating that the party could lose three to four Lok Sabha seats out of the 25 in the state due to such rhetorics.
Ghani was expelled from the BJP shortly after a video of him speaking with a News 24 channel reporter went viral on social media.
The party’s disciplinary committee cited Ghani’s conduct as an attempt to “tarnish” the party’s image in the media, which resulted in his six-year suspension from party positions.