Letter Suggesting Violence Against Protesting Farmers Is Fake: BJP

In the viral letter, Rajesh Bhatia is allegedly asking BJP cadre to use violence to stop the 26 Jan farmers’ rally.

A letter purportedly drafted and signed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajesh Bhatia is doing the rounds on social media.

(Photo: The Quint)

A letter purportedly drafted and signed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajesh Bhatia is doing the rounds on social media. According to the viral letter, Bhatia is instigating party workers to use force and violence if required to stop the tractor rally planned by protesting farmers on 26 January.

However, rubbishing the claims, Bhatia has said that the letter is “fake” and a complaint has been registered with the Delhi Police.

WHAT DOES THE LETTER SAY?

The aforementioned letter, which has been shared by multiple people on Twitter, including Congress leader Alka Lamba, is addressed to the party cadre and it suggests that Bhatia has asked them to resort to any means to oppose the tractor rally.

Written in Hindi, the text goes on to allege that party workers need to stop the farmers from destroying/damaging public property and that the party will ensure that no legal action would be taken against them.

An archived version can be accessed here.(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)

The letter has been shared by many on social media.

An archived version of the tweet can be accessed here.(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)

An archived version of the post can be accessed here.(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

‘LETTER’S FAKE’, SAYS BJP

However, Rajesh Bhatia, former general secretary of BJP’s state unit, under whose name the said letter has been drafted, rubbished the claims and said that he respects farmers. He also said that he has registered a complaint at the Rajendra Nagar Police Station.

In a tweet, Bhatia wrote that his signatures were forged on the party’s letter head to draft a fake letter and attached a copy of the complaint registered at the Rajendra Nagar Police Station in Delhi.

The Quint reached out to Satendra Mohan, Station House Officer (SHO) at the Rajendra Nagar Police Station, who told us that a complaint was received and the matter is under investigation.

Further, we noted that the designation of Rajesh Bhatia in the viral letter is wrong as he is no more the chairman of the party’s state unit.

(Photo: The Quint)