AHMEDABAD: Amid escalating India-Pakistan tensions, a BJP corporator from Rajkot, Gujarat, sparked controversy with a provocative message in the “RAJKOT BJP” WhatsApp group
The post stating, "This much war can be seen with 240 seats; to witness the full battle, 400 seats are needed... (See, this is new)," left the 462-member group, which includes MLAs, corporators, and senior party leaders, in stunned silence.
As the controversy escalated, Rajkot BJP scrambled to contain the damage on Monday, clarifying that Chetan Sureja had merely forwarded the message as a joke. Admitting his mistake, he apologised and promptly deleted the post.
Amid growing political sensitivity, a sudden post by Chetan Sureja, BJP corporator from Ward No. 10, quickly snowballed into an internal embarrassment for Rajkot city’s top BJP leadership.
When contacted by local media to verify the origin of the post, BJP corporator Chetan Sureja said, "I posted it just for fun. I had no other intention. The post is not originally mine; it was sent to me from Bangalore. I only forwarded it. I did add a few words myself, but most of the post came from somewhere else."
As soon as the post went viral in Gujarat, political tempers flared. The Congress launched a swift attack on the BJP. Speaking to local media, Rajkot City Congress president Atul Rajani said, "There should be no politics at the cost of national interest. The BJP corporator who made the post must face the strictest action. If the BJP has even a shred of morality left, they must suspend him immediately."
Amid the escalating controversy, the BJP rushed to issue a clarification. Rajkot City BJP president Madhav Dave told the media.
"I came to know about the post through news reports. Chetan Sureja has explained that he forwarded the image, thinking it was just humourous. He has admitted his mistake, apologised, and deleted the post. We have reported the matter to the state leadership. In sensitive times like these, such posts are unacceptable. However, Chetanbhai had no malicious intent," Dave said.