The state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala, PS Sreedharan Pillai, on Sunday, 14 April, stoked controversy after he said people belonging to the Muslim community can be identified by “removing their clothes.”
Addressing a rally in Attingal, Pillai said, Pillai touched upon the Balakot air strikes, carried by the Indian Air Forces and the questions raised by the Opposition on the number of people killed, reported The News Minute.
“Our Rahul Gandhi, Yechury, and Pinarayi are saying, our soldiers have to go there and see the count of the dead...their caste, religion etc. If it is Islam, there are some signs, no? If you remove their clothes you will be able to know. We have to do all that and return is what they are saying.”Sreedharan Pillai
Pillai's statement has drawn widespread criticism with CPI(M) leader V Sivankutty moving the EC over violation of Model Code of Conduct, as the comment targeted a particular religious community.
On Saturday, 13 April, BJP’s state unit chief Satpal Singh Satti in Himachal Pradesh targeted Congress President Rahul Gandhi at a public event in Solan from the Shimla parliamentary constituency.
Satti commented on Rahul’s "chowkidar chor hai” taunt at PM Modi, and called Rahul and the entire Gandhi family “thieves.” He added that many Gandhi family members, like Sonia Gandhi and Robert Vadra are out on bail, and so Rahul is not in any position to comment.
Subsequently, the Himachal Pradesh unit of the Congress sought an apology from Satti, accusing him of using derogatory remarks against Gandhi, reported PTI.
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