Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sukhbir Singh Jaunapuria has courted controversy after a video surfaced allegedly showing him refusing to distribute blankets to Muslim women during a donation drive in Rajasthan.
The former MP took back blankets from the women, stating that "those who abuse Modi" did not have a right to receive them, Hindustan Times reported.
In a video that went viral on Sunday, Jaunapuria is purportedly heard saying, “Listen to me, those who abuse Prime Minister Modi have no right to take blankets. I can’t help it if you feel bad.”
One of the women, identified as Sukaran Khan, told Hindustan Times that the BJP leader reacted after learning their names. “He was distributing blankets to everyone. Suddenly, he asked his staff to note our names. When we told him our names, he became offended because we are Muslims and immediately took back our blankets,” she alleged.
Following the controversy, Congress MP Harish Chandra Meena shared another video on social media. In the clip, Jaunapuria is seen asking the women their names and, after learning their identities, instructing aides not to give them blankets. He is also heard asking the women to leave, saying it did not matter if they felt bad.
In the video, he is heard saying: “It doesn’t matter if you feel bad. They will take the blanket and later boast that they made a fool of us. Why are you arguing? There is no need for any argument. This is not a government scheme; it is a personal arrangement.”
The Bharatiya Janata Party has not issued an official response to the controversy so far.