The BJP’s Member of Parliament (MP) Varun Gandhi, who had earlier demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible for the “murder” of farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh (UP), on Sunday warned against attempts to communalise the incident and turn it into a “Hindu vs Sikh battle.”
Varun said it was dangerous to create these “fault-lines” and reopen wounds that have taken a long time to heal.
By making these comments, the three-time BJP MP from Pilibhit has hit-out at Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra who had blamed “Khalistanis” for the Lakhimpur Kheri incident that occurred on October 3.
Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra is an accused in the case and was arrested by the UP Police after the Supreme Court lashed-out at the UP Government for not taking him into custody even though a case had been registered against him a week ago after an SUV ran-over agitating farmers in the State.
Varun, who along with his mother Maneka Gandhi, was recently dropped from the BJP National Executive, said the struggle for justice in Lakhimpur Kheri is about the “cruel massacre of poor farmers in the face of an arrogant local power elite”, and the issue has no religious connotations.
“To use the word ‘Khalistani’ liberally to describe the protesting farmers is not only an insult to the generations of these proud sons of the Tarai who have fought and shed blood on our borders, it is also extremely dangerous for our national unity if this provokes the wrong kind of reaction,” he said.
In a tweet, he said: “An attempt to turn Lakhimpur Kheri into a Hindu vs Sikh battle is being made. Not only is this an immoral & false narrative, it is dangerous to create these fault-lines & reopen wounds that have taken a generation to heal. We must not put petty political gains above national unity.”
Varun, who on October 2 on the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, described the glorification of Nathuram Godse, the assassin of the Mahatma, as “shameful”, has taken a completely contrarian line on the farmers’ agitation by supporting their demands, which is against the BJP’s official stand.
The BJP MP who has penned a book ‘Rural Manifesto- Realising India through her villages’ has divergent views from the party on developing the rural economy. His constituency Pilibhit also has a sizeable population of Sikh farmers.
Varun has been gradually stepping up his opposition to the BJP’s policies but, for now, does not seem to be in a hurry to break the umbilical cord with the ruling party. The BJP which is focussed on winning the high-stake poll battle in UP, early next year, would make its move at an “appropriate time”, sources said.
