DEHRADUN: A political controversy has erupted in Uttarakhand’s Ramnagar after police registered a case against BJP worker Raju Rawat over a Janmashtami tableau based on “love jihad”, a politically charged term used to allege religious conversion through interfaith relationships.
Scores of BJP leaders and workers gathered at the Ramnagar police station late at Saturday night, raising slogans against the police and questioning the basis for the action.
The protesters included office-bearers from the party’s city and rural units, former functionaries and members holding government-appointed positions. The BJP workers asked why a party activist had been booked for displaying a tableau on an issue frequently raised in public by leaders of the BJP-led state and central governments.
They claimed Rawat had removed the tableau immediately after being instructed by the local administration, and said registering a case despite his compliance was “difficult to understand”.
Among those who reached the police station were BJP city unit president Bhupendra Khati, rural unit president Ghanshyam Sharma, Farmers’ Commission member Sanjay Dorvi, former president Bhavna Bhatt and former minister of state-rank Dinesh Mehra. “The party stands firmly with its worker,” Khati said. “Raju Rawat had installed the tableau on Janmashtami.
When the administration asked him to remove it following a complaint, he respected the direction and dismantled the tableau within about 15 minutes.” Khati questioned the police’s handling of the matter, saying that if any element of the display was considered objectionable, removing it should have addressed the immediate concern.
BJP city general secretary Naveen Kargeti also sought an inquiry into the police action. “When the administration learnt about the tableau, officials telephoned Raju Rawat. He immediately removed both the tableau and the stall,” Kargeti said. “Why, then, was there a need to register a case overnight? This should be investigated.” Party workers alleged that the police action was unnecessary and demanded clarity on the complaint and the circumstances leading to the registration of the case.
The police were yet to issue a detailed official statement on the allegations, the sections invoked or the nature of the complaint against the tableau. Their response will clarify the legal grounds on which the case was registered and whether further action is contemplated.