Maharashtra BJP Minority Morcha General Secretary (GS) Rafiq Sheikh is accused of attacking Hindutva activists along with a mob of 30 to 40 Islamists. The incident occurred in Maharashtra’s Pune.
BJP Minority Morcha GS Rafiq Sheikh attacks Hindutva activists
On the night of 1 November, Sameer Chavan, and Sunny Chavan, were attacked with rods, sticks, and stones in Kothrud’s Paud Phata area. The mob was led by pistol-wielding Rafiq Sheikh who wanted the mob to ‘teach a lesson’ to the Hindus. Hearing the commotion, a few women came to help out the boys. However, even they were assaulted by the mob.
Locals alleged that the attack was pre-planned with the aim to create fear among Hindus. Following the incident, locals descended on the road to protest against the attack. They demanded strict action against the Islamists. The police took note of the protests and initiated an investigation after filing an FIR (First Information Report). Although, an FIR has been registered, no arrests have been made so far.
The allegations against Rafiq Sheikh are serious but this in’t the first time BJP Minority Morcha leader has been caught displaying his anti-Hindu side.
Time to dismantle BJP Minority Morcha
We had pointed out earlier how the Minority Morcha had become a liability and embarassment for the party. In August we had reported that a BJP minority morcha leader’s brother and son in Madhya Pradesh (MP) were found to be involved in criminal activities including love jihad.
It is important to note that in India minority automatically translates to Muslims despite the fact that it is the second largest population group in Bharat.
Some other incidents of involvement of BJP minority morcha leaders in criminal activities:
In September 2023, Rahi Masoom Raza, then District President of the BJP’s Minority Morcha in Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh, was expelled from the party after allegations emerged linking him to the rape of a Dalit girl and murder of her father. The victim’s family alleged that when the father objected, he was assaulted, later succumbing to injuries. A police constable was also arrested for accepting a ₹9 lakh bribe to shield the leader from prosecution.
In June 2023, Assam BJP Minority Morcha member Ansarul Haque Chowdhury was arrested in Hailakandi district on charges of the fraudulent job scheme. He allegedly extracted around ₹5 lakh from a villager by falsely promising government jobs, claiming influence through pictures with the Chief Minister and other BJP ministers. A case was registered under several sections of the IPC, including cheating and breach of trust. His position in the party committee was under review.
Other BJP units must take inspiration from their Assam unit that dismantled its Minority Morcha in 2021. Admittedly no party can be absolutely clean but for a party that prides itself on being different, BJP needs to get rid of tags that serve no purpose. In fact, many criminal elements take advantage by attaching themselves to the party.
Instead BJP should aim to provide platform to more Dharmic and indigenous groups. The failed ‘Sabka Vishwas’ project shows that appeasement never works. This is not just true for Muslims but even for Chrisitans who believe BJP to be an ‘enemy’ promoting Hindutva. ‘Minority’ (read Muslim) votes cannot be brought by trading the society’s well-being and the country’s security. Hightime for BJP to bite the bullet and disband its minority morcha!
People like Sheikh use BJP to accumulate wealth and power. This is nothing but massive misuse of Hindu votes that brought BJP to power. It is hoped that BJP Maharashtra will expel Sheikh from the party and ensure strict action against him. Also, the sooner the party disbands its Minority Morcha, the better it would be.
