Bikaner: Usman Ghani, the district president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Muslim Minority Morcha in Bikaner, Rajasthan, has been at the center of a political controversy following his public criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statements made during an election rally in Rajasthan.
Ghani’s critique of PM Modi’s remarks, which were perceived as Islamophobic, led to his removal from party positions.
Responding to PM Modi’s remarks characterizing 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 engages with Muslims to solicit votes for the BJP, community members often raise questions about the Prime Minister’s statements and seek clarifications from him. Additionally, Ghani noted that the Jat community in the state is discontented with the BJP, leading to voting against the party in Churu and other constituencies.
Ghani further predicted potential electoral setbacks for the BJP in Rajasthan, estimating potential losses of three to four Lok Sabha seats out of the 25 in the state due to such rhetoric.
Following the viral circulation of a video showing Ghani’s conversation with a News 24 channel reporter, the party’s disciplinary committee invoked Ghani’s conduct as an effort to “tarnish” the party’s reputation in the media, resulting in his six-year suspension from party positions.
