By Muslim Mirror Staff
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has expelled Sandeep Dayma, the leader of its Rajasthan unit, for his controversial remarks regarding Gurudwaras, which have caused outrage among party leaders in neighbouring Punjab.
Rajasthan BJP Disciplinary Committee Chairman Onkar Singh Lakhawat confirmed the expulsion, stating, “Sandeep Dayma has been expelled from the party on the instructions of the state president for making a statement against the ideology of the party.”
The controversy arose when Sandeep Dayma made a contentious statement during an election rally in Alwar, Rajasthan. He remarked, “Look how many mosques, gurdwaras have been built here! It will become an ulcer for us in the future, so it is our duty to remove this ulcer. And thrown out.” Dayma later issued an apology for his comments, but the party leaders in Punjab remained dissatisfied with his response.
Dayma apologised for his remark, saying he intended to say “mosques and madrassas” but somehow ended up uttering the words “mosques and gurdwaras” by mistake.
Sunil Jakhar, the head of the BJP’s Punjab unit, condemned Dayma’s statement, saying, “The Rajasthan leader’s outrage against religious sentiments cannot be forgiven. People have been informed about the damage.”
Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh also weighed in on the matter, demanding strict action against Sandeep Dayma. Singh said that the remarks had caused offence in Punjab, and punitive measures were necessary to address the issue.
I urge the @BJP4India high command to immediately expel Sandeep Dayma from the party for his hate remarks against mosques & Gurdwaras.
His apology serves no purpose as his remarks have already caused immense hurt to well meaning people. Not only should he be expelled, but there…
— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) November 4, 2023
According to News18 Punjabi, the statement was made in the presence of Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, who also applauded in response. Surprisingly, no objections were raised at the time. However, once the statement faced strong criticism on social media and from the Shiromani Committee, the BJP issued an apology.