A BJP leader has sparked controversy after he denied blankets to Muslim women during a recent distribution drive. In the video, Sukhbir Singh Jaunapuria, a former MP from Rajasthan's Tonk-Sawai Madhopur constituency, can be heard saying that those who criticise PM Modi "have no right" to receive blankets.
Sukhbir Singh Jaunapuria can be seen giving blankets to a group of women in the video. When he asks one woman her name and she identifies herself to be a Muslim, he instructs his aides to not give her a blanket.
He goes on to say, "Listen to me, those who abuse (PM) Modi have no right to take (blankets). I can't help it if you feel bad about it."
After this, Singh demands that the place be vacated. The viral video is likely to cause a stir in the ongoing budget session of the Rajasthan Assembly.
Some people confronted the BJP leader later in the video, accusing him of denying blankets to Muslim women who had been waiting for hours, only to be sent away empty-handed. When confronted, Singh said he did not want to argue and walked away. He clarified that the blankets were being distributed personally and that no government money was involved.
Congress MP from Tonk Sawai Madhopur, Harish Chandra Meena, posted the video on his X handle, calling the BJP leader’s attitude "shameful and inhuman".
"Distributing blankets after asking names of poor, helpless women and taking them back depending on their religion is shameful and inhuman," he said on X.
"Did the Prime Minister tell the former MP not to help those who do not vote for him and his party? If this is the case, why is the government running programmes for the minorities?" he further questioned. Meena also urged Prime Minister Modi to take action against Singh.
Chairperson for Congress's social media wing, Supriya Shrinate also shared the video. "People were right in protesting. They should have thrown the blanket on his face," Shrinate posted on X.