Lakhpat Bhandari, a senior BJP functionary in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district, is facing legal action for allegedly making inflammatory comments targeting the minority community at a rally in Srinagar town. During a “chetna and chetavni” (awareness and warning) rally on Thursday, Bhandari reportedly threatened to “burn down shops belonging to members of the minority community” and to “gouge out their eyes” if they targeted Hindu girls under the pretext of “love jihad.” The rally, attended by a large crowd, aimed to raise awareness about alleged harassment cases involving interfaith interactions.
The district police have taken action, charging Bhandari under Sections 196 (promoting enmity between different communities) and 299 (deliberate and malicious acts to outrage religious feelings) in response to his remarks.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Lokeshwar Singh stated, “Necessary legal action will be initiated against the accused,” adding that police follow due process in addressing any complaints involving crimes against women, regardless of faith.
Bhandari defended his statements by citing a recent case in which a Muslim man allegedly harassed a sixth-grade Hindu student, stating that such incidents forced the community to act. He encouraged parents to remain vigilant and warned minority men “against targeting daughters with wrong intentions.”
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com.