Journalism of Courage
BJP MLA from Khatauli in Muzaffarnagar Vikram Singh Saini sparked a row Tuesday after he said the party workers were “excited” because they will now be able to get married to “fair girls from Kashmir”.
In a purported video that went viral, the MLA is seen speaking at an event to celebrate the scrapping of special status of Kashmir, in Katauli area of Muzaffarnagar.
The MLA said, “Karyakarta bahut utsuk hai aur jo kunwaare hai, unki shaadi wahi karva denge, koi dikkat nahi hai. Kya dikkat hai? Pehle wahaan mahilaon par kitna atyachar tha. Wahaan ki ladki agar kisi Uttar Pradesh ke chorey se shaadi kar le, toh uski nagrikta khatam. Bharat ki nagrikta alag, Kashmir ki alag… Aur jo Muslim karyakarta hai yahaan par, unko khushi manani chahiye… Shaadi wahaan karo na, Kashmiri gori ladki se. Khushi manani chahiye. Poore chahe Hindu, Musalman koi ho. Yeh poore desh ke liye utsah ka vishay hai. (The workers are very excited and those who are bachelors, they can get married there. There is no issue now. Earlier, there was lot of atrocities on women. If a woman from there [Kashmir] got married to a man from Uttar Pradesh, her citizenship would be revoked. There was different citizenship for India and Kashmir. And the Muslim workers should celebrate here. Get married there. To a fair Kashmiri girl. There should be celebrations. Everyone should celebrate… Be it Hindu or Muslims. This is something the entire country should be celebrating).”
Asked about his remarks, the MLA said he had said nothing wrong. “Now anyone can get married to a Kashmiri girl without any issue. That is all I said and it is the truth. This is freedom for the people of Kashmir. That is why we organised the event Tuesday. Now, Kashmiris have attained freedom,” the MLA told The Indian Express.
In the video, the MLA also says, “… Ki Modiji aapne mera sapna poora kar diya. Poora Bharat khush hai. Saare jagah nagade baj rahe hain. Poora ullas hai. Chahe woh Ladakh ho, Leh ho. Maine kal phone kiya… Humare ek jaanne waale hain. Koi makaan hai…(Modiji, you have fulfilled my dream. The entire country is happy. Everywhere people are celebrating with drums. Be in Ladakh or Leh. Yesterday, I called a person I know and asked him if there was a house…).” Asked about the remarks, he told The Indian Express, “I would want to get a house in Kashmir. Everything over there is beautiful – the place, the men and women. Everything.”
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In January this year, Saini had triggered a controversy by threatening to bomb “those who feel unsafe in this country”. While talking to mediapersons at Rampur trijunction in Muzaffarnagar, the MLA said, “My personal view is that those who say they feel unsafe and threatened in India, should be bombed. Give me a ministry and I will bomb all such people. not even one will be spared.”
He later defended his remarks, saying that he was speaking in a language that is spoken in his village.
