Disregarding the party leadership's fiat to avoid controverisal remarks, recalcitrant BJP MPs have gone ballistic over the Kasganj clashes and the FIR against armymen for allegedly killing two civilians in Jammu and Kashmir.
BJP MP Vinay Katiyar claimed that pro-Pakistan demonstrators incited the Kasganj violence in Uttar Pradesh last week that led to the death of a 22-year-old man.
"There were no communal clashes in the district in the past as all communities lived in harmony. But some miscreants who support Pakistan have come into light and will go to any extent to defy the tricolour. They need to be dealt with strictly," he said.
Katiyar denied making any controversial statement, saying, "I haven't said anything wrong. It has become a trend these days to hoist the Pakistan flag".
Subramanian Swamy rushed to Katiyar's support, saying, "It is not an unthinkable thing that Pakistan will be involved in such things. The SIT should take cognisance of Katiyar's statement and see if it is true."
Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti said, "The incident suggests that anti-national elements cannot tolerate Tiranga Yatra. The UP government is taking strict action. Such incidents will not be tolerated and it should also not be politicised".
Swamy also came down heavily on the Mehbooba Mufti government in Jammu and Kashmir for pursuing a criminal case against some army personnel in connection with the death of two civilians in Shopian firing recently.
Slamming the state government, Swamy said, "What's this nonsense? Dismiss the government. Tell Mehbooba to withdraw the FIR - else her government would be toppled".
"Why are we even running that govt? I haven't understood that till date," Swamy said.
He was responding to an announcement by Mehbooba that the case against the army personnel involved in firing on protesters in Shopian, which left the two civilians dead, would be taken to a "logical conclusion".
Katiyar in turn backed Swamy's stand on the killing of two civilians.
"Complaint should not be filed against any army officers. We don't even know if those killed in Shopian were civilians or not. Terror activities have been taking place in the Valley every other day. Maybe the army killed them by mistake. People of Jammu and Kashmir should not work with terrorists," he said.
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