Bhopal BJP MLA calls Congress demonstrators 'SIMI terrorists'

Bhopal BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma on Wednesday referred to a group of Congress demonstrators, led by MLA Arif Masood, as 'terrorists' of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). Without naming Masood, Sharma called him gunda, mawali (anti-social element).

Rameshwar Sharma's statement before mediapersons came in the context of a rally organised by Arif Masood on Wednesday to demand dismissal of Bhopal MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur from the BJP in view of her repeatedly praising Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, as being a patriot.

Masood, who has been constantly agitating for action against Pragya Thakur, took out a rally that intended to go to the BJP's headquarters in Bhopal to hand over a memorandum to Rakesh Singh, the saffron's party MP unit chief, seeking Thakur's dismissal from the party.

However, in anticipation of the Congress rally, a large posse of BJP members led by Rameshwar Sharma, former MP Alok Sanjar and including several women, stood before the BJP headquarters with lathis in their hands.

Senior officials of the police held talks with the Congress demonstrators and convinced them to call off the rally before it reached BJP headquarters. The Congress demonstrators handed over their memorandum to police officials asking them to hand it over to Rakesh Singh, thus avoiding a possible confrontation.

Meanwhile, Sharma came out with the controversial statement. When the mediapersons asked Sharma about the presence of BJP activists with lathis, the MLA said that they had heard that “SIMI terrorists were conspiring to attack the BJP office. BJP workers have always taken bullets on their chest to protect the country, our motherland and the tricolour. If the SIMI terrorists come and attack our office, we would also give suitable reply to them. We will do that till we are alive.”

When asked whether he was referring to Arif Masood, Sharma said he was not naming anyone, but added that just becoming an MLA cannot remove the tag of gunda, mawali from anyone.

Though Arif Masood could not be immediately contacted for his reaction on the 'SIMI terrorist' barb, he previously reacted before the media on the BJP workers carrying lathis. “They should have actually welcomed us, but their violent attitude is out in the open by their move. We always do things democratically and carry only tricolours and banners. They can do whatever they want to,” Masood said.

Congress media cell chief Shobha Oza said that making such statements (SIMI terrorist) repeatedly makes it clear that BJP people had the mentality of Godse and always believed in violence. “They care two hoots for democracy and the Constitution. They only know the language of violence, which is deplorable,” Oza said.