News Analysis India

Tag: Ravinder Raina

  • J-K BJP leader gets show-cause notice from party for ‘hatred promoting remarks’ against Kashmiri Muslims

    By PTI

    JAMMU: The J-K unit of BJP on Monday, November 1, 2021, served a show-cause notice to its senior leader and former MLC Vikram Randhawa after a video in which he purportedly made derogatory remarks against Kashmiri Muslims appeared on social media, triggering protests and demands for his arrest.

    BJP’s J-K unit president Ravinder Raina said Randhawa’s remarks are totally against the basic principles of the party, which believes in respecting all faiths.

    Randhawa is accused of making disparaging comments over the incidents of celebration of Pakistan’s win over India in a cricket match in the ongoing T20 world cup in Dubai.

    “The video came into the notice of the party and a show-cause notice was immediately served to him by the disciplinary committee as such a language cannot be tolerated,” Raina said.

    In the show-cause notice, the BJP disciplinary committee headed by Sunil Sethi asked Randhwa to explain his position within 48 hours.

    “A video has gone viral in social media in which you are seen making absolutely reckless and hatred promoting remarks against a particular community. This is unacceptable to the party and has brought disrepute and embarrassment to the party,” the notice read.

    Raina said he was personally hurt after hearing the comments of Randhawa “that are totally against the basic principles of the party which believes in respecting all faiths and taking everyone along in accordance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas’”.

    He said Kashmiri Muslims are nationalists at heart and only a small group of 50 or 60 people celebrated the Pakistani win.

    “The government has taken appropriate action against them in accordance with the law of the land,” Raina said.

    Lauding the people of Kashmir, Raina said thousands of youths are serving in police, army and paramilitary forces and are taking enemy bullets on their chests in the service of the nation, while many more including mothers and daughters are upholding the national flag despite the grave risk to their lives.

    “Randhawa has to tender an apology for his remarks or get ready for strict action. His comments are in his personal capacity and have nothing to do with the party,” Raina said.

    After the video was shared by senior PDP leader Naeem Akhtar on his Twitter handle, party president Mehbooba Mufti asked why no action has been taken against the BJP leader.

    She said “students are charged with sedition for merely cheering the winning team”, in a reference to the action on students who were seen in celebratory videos that appeared after Pakistan’s win in the T20 match against India The alleged remarks of Randhawa triggered protests in the Jammu region.

    Senior advocate Sheikh Shakeel requested the Inspector General of Police, Jammu to book the BJP leader for his “hate speech” and hurting the sentiments of the Muslim community.

    Shakeel alleged that Randhawa had openly threatened a government official and even used derogatory words against Union Minister Jitendra Singh some time back.

    “We appeal to the IGP to take serious note of the video and book him immediately for hurting the sentiments of the Muslims,” he said. 

  • Those celebrating Pakistan’s win over India in T20 match will be jailed: J-K BJP chief Ravinder Raina

    By PTI

    JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina on Tuesday accused PDP president Mehbooba Mufti of having “Talibani ideology” and said anyone who celebrated Pakistan’s recent win over India in a T20 World Cup match would be jailed for “conspiring” against the country.

    Mehbooba Mufti, the former chief minister, on Monday had called on people to take Pakistan’s win over India in a T20 World Cup match in the right spirit, amid reports of anger against Kashmiris for celebrating the neighbouring country’s victory.

    Pakistan beat India by 10 wickets in a Super 12 game on Sunday in their first win over their arch-rivals in a World Cup match in their 13th attempt.

    “Some leaders need security cover and are protected round-the-clock by our forces but their heart beats for Pakistan. Mehbooba is of Talibani ideology and she is answerable to the people for supporting an enemy nation which is pushing armed terrorists, conspiring against us and bleeding J&K. She has committed a grave sin,” Raina said.

    Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function organised by his party to celebrate ‘Vijay Diwas’ (accession day) at Maharaja Hari Singh Park here, the BJP leader said those who have conspired against the country by celebrating Pakistan’s win cannot be spared.

    “Anyone who poses a threat to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our motherland will be bulldozed and crushed. FIRs have been registered against those who celebrated Pakistan’s win in Kashmir and elsewhere and created a ruckus under a conspiracy are being identified. Police, CID and NIA are taking action against them and all of them will be put in jail,” Raina said.

    Six people were detained in Samba district, while several FIRs were registered against those who celebrated the victory of the Pakistan cricket team.

    Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh joined a large number of BJP leaders and workers to celebrate the accession day and paid rich tributes to the last Dogra ruler of J&K Maharaja Hari Singh.

    The national flag was also hoisted on the occasion.

    Accession Day marks the signing of the instrument of accession by the maharaja with the governor-general of India, Lord Moutbatten, on October 26, 1947 to join the then dominion of India.

    “Vijay Diwas is like Republic and Independence day for us as this was the day when our maharaja made J&K an integral part of India… some parts of Jammu and Kashmir are still under the illegal occupation of Pakistan and China and the day is not far when we will hoist the tricolour there as well,” Raina said in his address to the gathering.

    In his address, Union minister Singh recalled the historic movements of the signing of accession and the defeat of Pakistani raiders who tried to control the Srinagar airport and said the work started by the maharaja was completed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi by revoking the Article 370 on August 5, 2019.

    After the historic step, the accession of Jammu and Kashmir with India is complete, he said, adding that “neither Pakistan nor China or for that matter Taliban can think of taking over J&K from us”.

    Former MLA Devender Singh Rana said Pakistan is not learning the lessons from history and repeatedly attempting to disturb the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

    “They have suffered defeats and will face the same fate in future as no conspiracy will be allowed to succeed. The temporary accession was made permanent on August 5, 2019 under the present dispensation which strengthened J&K and the country,” Rana said, highlighting the contribution of the maharaja.

    He said Jammu and Kashmir was and will remain the integral part of India.

  • Bandipora encounter: Deaths of BJP leader, family members avenged, says Ravinder Raina 

    Raina said the remaining terrorists and those conspiring against the nation would meet the same fate as the two militants who were shot dead by the security forces in a gunfight in Watrina area of Ban

  • BJP will fight upcoming assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir on its own strength: Ravinder Raina

    By PTI

    JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina on Wednesday said his party would fight the upcoming assembly elections on its own strength to form the next government in the Union Territory.

    He said the BJP is fully prepared for the polls, which would be announced after the completion of the delimitation exercise, and had set a target of 50-plus assembly seats.

    “The BJP will fight the upcoming assembly elections on its own strength and there will be no alliance with anyone,” Raina told reporters after addressing a workers convention in Doda district.

    Raina, who is presently on a tour of various districts as part of the party’s mass contact programme and mobilising its workers ahead of the polls, said the party had to stitch an alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after the last assembly elections after it fell short of its mission of 44-plus seats.

    “Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government had worked tirelessly to mitigate the problems of the people over the past seven years.

    The welfare schemes launched by the BJP government have benefited every section of the society under the slogan of ‘Sabka Saath, SabkaV ikas and Sabka Vishwas’ and today we are witnessing that every child is moving with the BJP flag in hand everywhere,” he said.

    He said the BJP’s mass outreach campaign is underway, besides the district and ward level party workers convention.

    “We are fully prepared for the assembly polls, which will be announced after the completion of the ongoing delimitation exercise.

    We have taken a pledge to cross 50-plus seats to form the next government with a thumping majority.

    The next chief minister will be from our party,” he said.

    Raina said BJP workers are full of enthusiasm waiting for the announcement of the assembly elections in the Union Territory.

    In March 2020, the BJP-led government had constituted a delimitation commission to redraw Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

    The commission is yet to submit its report.

    Asked about the anger among the youth against the BJP, the BJP president avoided a direct answer but said “we all know that during the last two years, the Covid-triggered lockdown caused recession around the world.

    “Despite financial crunch, largescale recruitment was ensured in J-K Bank, police and civil services departments.

    The recruitment will continue to provide employment to the youth,” he said.

    Earlier, on his arrival in the district, Raina was accorded a warm welcome by party workers.

    Later, addressing the party workers meeting after a rally in the town, the BJP leader said the party has become the first choice of masses owing to the dedicated work by its workers at the ground level.

    “BJP workers are always present to help the needy through thick and thin and as a result the people have developed immense faith in the whole organisation,” he said.

    Asking the workers to keep up the momentum, he said with the dedicated selfless efforts of the party workers, the people have rejected the “opportunistic politics” of other political parties.

  • ‘Terrorists frustrated with our popularity’: Jammu & Kashmir BJP chief receives terror threat

    By PTI

    JAMMU: Pakistan-based terrorists are frustrated with the BJP’s growing popularity and are conspiring to derail the peace process in Jammu and Kashmir, senior party leader Ravinder Raina asserted on Saturday and said “intelligence agencies” have informed that a terror outfit has issued a threat against him.

    The Jammu and Kashmir BJP president also condemned the killing of party functionaries by terrorists in the Union Territory, saying they want to create fear among the people. The BJP also claimed that 23 of its members have been killed in the last two years in Jammu and Kashmir.

    In this month, terrorists killed two BJP functionaries — Javeed Ahmad Dar on August 17 in Kulgam and Ghulam Rasool Dar on August 10 in Anantnag. Dar’s wife was also killed in the attack. “I was informed by intelligence agencies about a threat statement of TRF (The Resistance Front) on social media against me. I was asked to stay alert although all necessary measures have been taken to counter the threat,” Raina told PTI.

    TRF is an offshoot of the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). However, the BJP leader said he was least bothered by such threats which have become a routine. In April, he had received a call and a video message from a Pakistani mobile number with the caller introducing himself as a LeT commander and threatening him.

    “This shows the frustration in the ranks of the Pakistan-based terrorists over the growing popularity of the BJP, especially in the Valley. During my recent visit, thousands of people welcomed me in South Kashmir and took part in our rallies which has left the terror groups frustrated,” Raina said.

    He said the condemnable attacks on innocent BJP members were the outcome of the frustration on the part of the terrorists who want to derail the peace process and create fear among the local population.

    The BJP is not going to be cowed down by such threats and will continue to work for peace, progress and development of Jammu and Kashmir under the mission of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’, Raina said.

    He said the BJP is gaining ground across Jammu and Kashmir and is going to form the next government whenever the assembly elections are held. “Anti-national elements are frightened and they will not be spared,” the BJP’s J&K chief said.

  • Srinagar court asks cops to file status report on Akali Dal leader, J&K BJP chief on petition seeking FIR against them 

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: A Srinagar Court has directed police to file a status report against Akali Dal leader Majinder Singh Sirsa and BJP J&K president Ravinder Raina on a petition filed against them by a student leader seeking to register of an FIR against them for distorting peace and communal harmony due to their remarks on the alleged forcible marriage of Sikh girls to Muslim boys in Kashmir.

    The Chief Judicial Magistrate Srinagar while admitting the petition directed Station House Officer (SHO) Police Station Saddar, Srinagar to file the status report in light of averments/allegations put forth in the petition.

    The police officer has been directed to submit the report by July 12 positively, failing which action under law will be initiated against him.

    The petition filed by young student leader Khuehami has sought to register of FIR against Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Akali Dal spokesman; Ravinder Raina J&K BJP president and Aman Singh Bali, a Sikh activist for committing offenses under Section 153-A, 153-B, 505 (1), and 505 (2) of the IPC.

    He said he had earlier approached Police Station Bandipora and Police Station Kothibagh for registering of FIR against Sirsa and Raina for distorting peace and communal harmony but police refused to register an FIR.

    In the petition, Nasir stated that Sirsa on June 27 organized a protest and press conference against Muslims alleging that Muslims are kidnapping and converting young Sikh girls into Islam and forcing them to marry Muslim men of elder ages.

    He said Sirsa alleged that at least four Muslims had kidnapped young Sikh girls at the gunpoint and forced them to marry them.

    A Sikh girl, who had allegedly eloped with a Muslim man and married him, was handed over to family last week and the next day Sirsa got her married to a Sikh youth in a Srinagar Gurudwara, and same day she was taken to Delhi.

    The videos of the girl have gone viral in which she had stated that she married on her own with a Muslim man and converted to Islam without any coercion. She had also accused her family of torturing her.

    In the petition, Nasir also alleged that Bali, who is very active on Twitter, kept spreading venom against the Muslim community. “He showed no respect for freedom of choice guaranteed to every citizen by the constitution”.

    “Raina alleged that in the last 3 months 11 Sikh girls have been converted at gunpoint, which is far from the truth,” he said.

    “Their statements were refused by various Sikh bodies and the videos of the girls, which went viral on social media,” he said.

    The student leader in the petition said after the statements for Sirsa, Raina, and Bali, J&K students studying outside are living under fear and facing a constant threats to their lives.

  • Some leaders still dreaming about restoration of Article 370, it’s next to impossible: J&K BJP head

    Ravinder Raina, his senior party colleagues and former deputy chief ministers, Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta, attended the June 24 all-party meeting on J amp;K chaired by PM Narendra Modi.

  • BJP delegation opposes dialogue with Pakistan at meet in PM’s residence on J-K

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Opposing a dialogue with Pakistan till it stops “exporting” terror into Jammu and Kashmir, a BJP delegation led by J&K president Ravinder Raina at an all-party meet here on Thursday said those seeking engagement with the neighbouring country should meet the victims of violence to understand their pain.

    The meeting, which was held to chalk out the future political course of action in Jammu and Kashmir, was convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and it had in attendance 14 leaders from the Union Territory.

    The delegation called for intensification of efforts to root out the “sense of Pakistan, separatism and terrorism” from Jammu and Kashmir to provide a peaceful atmosphere to its people who are Indian to the core of their “heart, blood and DNA”, Raina told PTI at the end of the meeting.

    He said the three-member BJP team, which also comprised of two former deputy chief ministers – Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta – also pitched for constitution of an apex committee to hold dialogues with representatives of the Kashmiri migrant pandit community for their dignified return and rehabilitation in the Kashmir Valley at the earliest.

    The BJP leader said he thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his sincere efforts to end the political deadlock by holding the dialogue with prominent leaders from Jammu and Kashmir.

    “The prime minister knows the heartbeat of the people of Jammu and Kashmir as he has lived among them for a long time, and knows their pain as well. Those talking about holding dialogue with Pakistan should know that India enjoys good relations with every country except Islamabad which has bled J&K for the past 35 years by exporting terror,” Raina told the meeting.

    He said training camps for terrorists are still active in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan, and in such a scenario, the policy of the Indian government is clear that gun and dialogue cannot go together.

    “Those demanding dialogue with Pakistan should understand the pain of those who are the victims of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. They should meet them and ask whether we should hold dialogue with Pakistan and see their reaction,” the BJP leader said.

    “We have to root out sense of Pakistan, separatism and terrorism, and in this direction, efforts should be intensified,” Raina said.

    He said that “Kashmiri pandits, Sikhs and nationalist Muslims had to flee their homes in the Valley in 1990 due to the Pakistani gun and migrate to different parts of the country”.

    “We suggest the constitution of an apex committee to hold dialogue with the representatives of Kashmiri pandits for their dignified return and rehabilitation in the valley. The pandits are the ambassadors of the Indian nationalism,” Raina said.

    He said the delegation also spoke about residents of Jammu and Kashmir who are living in areas under the illegal occupation of Pakistan.

    The government should pay special attention to them and become their voice as they are suffering the “worst kind” of human rights violations, Raina said.

    Praising the prime minister, Raina said he understands the pain of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and is putting balm on their wounds ever since he came to power at the Centre.

    “He was there among the people at Srinagar city centre Lal Chowk on Dilwali when they were hit by the worst ever floods in 2014 and announced Rs 80,000 crore special package for the development of J&K,” he said and listed various developmental projects in different sectors including health, education, roads, power and railways.

    Defending the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, Raina said that he told the meeting that the decision ended “grave injustice” of over 70 years with different communities including daughters of J&K, PoK refugees, West Pakistani refugees, Gorkha Samaj and Valmiki Samaj who were denied citizenship rights in the erstwhile state.

    Raina also praised Modi for strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions and said for the first time, elections to District Development Councils and Block Development Councils took place to strengthen grassroot democracy.

    “People of Jammu and Kashmir are very happy after the abrogation of the Article 370 and expressed their faith by taking part in the democratic exercise which is evident from the 80 per cent turnout in the elections,” he said.

    The BJP leader said he demanded addressing all issues being faced by Special Police Officers and Village Defence Committee members who have played a key role in anti-insurgency operations.

    Raina said in the meeting he talked about the over one lakh casual labourers, daily wagers and need-based workers who are providing their services in 28 government departments for the past several decades and are demanding regularisation of their services.

    The BJP delegation also thanked the prime minister for announcing a delimitation commission for Jammu and Kashmir, he said, adding they are quite sure that the process would be completed within the stipulated time and to the satisfaction of the people.

    The delegation also hailed the Centre for strengthening the anti-corruption mechanism, Raina said, adding people of Jammu and Kashmir are happy as the move has tightened the noose around corrupt officers and politicians.

    “We also thanked the Prime Minister for providing free vaccination against Covid-19,” he said.