New Delhi

Taking cognizance of the public anger and demand for action, the Bhartiya Janata Party has removed the general secretary of Jammu and Kashmir unit Vikram Randhawa for his alleged hate remarks against Muslims of Kashmir in the light of the reported celebrations in some quarters following India’s defeat at the hands of Pakistan in T-20 World Cup in Dubai last week.

Party president Ravinder Raina said, “Vikram Randhawa's remarks against Kashmiri Muslims are totally against the basic principles of the party that believes in respecting all faiths.”

Raina said he was personally hurt after hearing the comments of Randhawa, who, in a video, was seen speaking in derogatory terms against the Kashmiri Muslims. The video has since gone viral on social media.

He said Randhawa’s remarks are totally against the basic principles of the party that believes “in respecting all faiths and taking everyone along following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas'".

The party has also issued a show-cause notice to Randhawa, a former MLC, following for his hate remarks.

Raina, who has attended funerals of many Kashmiri Muslims –party men and Policemen - who have laid down their lives in the line of duty while fighting the terrorists, said, ‘Kashmiri Muslims are nationalists and only a small group of 50 or 60 people had celebrated the Pakistani win.’

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.

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

The party has also served the former MLC a show-cause notice. The notice issued by the party’s disciplinary committee led by Sunil Sethi has asked Randhwa to explain his position within 48 hours.

It says: "A video has gone viral in social media in which you are seen making reckless and hatred promoting remarks against a particular community. This is unacceptable to the party and has brought disrepute and embarrassment to the party." 

Raina told media persons that thousands of Kashmiri Muslims are serving in the police, army, and paramilitary forces and fighting the terrorists as some of them even lay down their lives while defending the country against its enemies.

He said many “mothers and daughters are upholding the national flag despite the grave risk to their lives.”

Raina said Randhawa will face strict action from the party in case he doesn’t apologize for his remarks to the people of Kashmir. He also made it clear that Randhawa was not speaking for the party and these are his thoughts.

It was PDP leader Naeem Akhtar who first shared Randhawa’s video on Twitter. This made the party chief Mehbooba Mufti question the government’s inaction for his hateful remarks.

She said why the Randhawa was free while students who had cheered for Pakistan were behind the lockup.

Police have lodged an FIR against Randhawa for making these remarks.