Pahalgam heat on Muslim MLA of Bhopal, BJP leader stands by ‘threat to his life’

Ghadge, a member of the state BJP working committee, also used an expletive against Masood.

With a complaint against him forwarded to police by Masood’s supporters, Ghadge posted a statement on his Facebook account refusing to apologise for his comments. “Our rally was against Pakistan. My statement calling him (Masood) a Pakistani agent and a threat to take his life… it’s a subject that is much better discussed now that the Arif Masood fan club people are filing a complaint against me… I spoke against Pakistan and they are taking Pakistan’s side and filing a report against me.”

A day earlier, a man called Sachin Raghuvanshi had issued death threats to Masood. Photos of Raghuvanshi, who faces an FIR, later emerged with a senior BJP leader. Pointing to this, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh posted on X, “Will @CP_Bhopal assess the ‘Threat Perception’ regarding Arif Masood’s security and enhance his protection? It should be enhanced. Will @BJP4MP take legal action against Sachin Suryavanshi? They should.” Speaking to The Indian Express, Masood said the attacks against him showed the BJP realised his strength. “I am a strong Opposition member. They are scared of warriors,” he said.

Masood added: “They are angry since I keep getting votes and remain the Bhopal MLA despite them applying their entire might to dislodge me. They don’t like the narrative of Hindu-Muslim unity either and hence target me.” Masood’s journey into politics began after he graduated from State Law College and enrolled for.a Master’s degree at Government Benazeer College. Around 2000, he ventured into student politics. In 2013, Masood contested from the Bhopal Madhya Assembly seat, seen as a BJP stronghold, on the Congress ticket and lost to the party’s Surendra Nath Singh. Five years later, he wrested the seat, and retained it in 2023. Now, Masood, 52, is one of only two Muslim MLAs in the state.

Masood’s popularity has also helped the Congress build a strong political presence in Bhopal. He is known to be approachable and well connected with his constituents, and has been a vocal voice on minority rights. In 2019, opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, Masood had threatened to resign if the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh at the time implemented it. In October 2020, Masood organised a protest in Bhopal against French President Emmanuel Macron over a cartoon controversy. Days later, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation demolished an allegedly illegal 12,000-sq-ft structure at IPS College in Khanugaon, associated with him, citing lack of civic permission.

Masood claimed this was political vendetta by the BJP government. BJP spokesperson Narendra Saluja said he had not heard the remarks made by Ghadge. Adding that “there should be respect”, Saluja said: “What context he said this in… we will investigate… We will ask him whether he said this or if it was an edited video.”