Tonk: Sukhbir Singh Jaunapuria, the former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Rajasthan’s Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, refrained from giving blankets to Muslim women, saying those who insult Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not receive a blanket.
Jaunapuria had visited the Kareda Buzurg village on Sunday, February 22, to distribute blankets to the villagers as part of a programme. However, in a video that has since gone viral, he reportedly refused to give Muslim women their share after asking their names, and even took back the blankets he had given them before.
After he asked his team to stop giving the women blankets, Jaunapuria then directed the Muslim women to leave the gathering. He said, “Jo aaplog bhete hai na, mene battani Modi gali dene wala, usko rehne ka haq hi nai hai. Kisi ko bura lage to bura lage. Seedi baat. (Those of you who are sitting here, I’m telling you, anyone who abuses Modi doesn’t even have the right to live here. If someone feels bad about it, so be it).”
According to local media, the blankets were initially given to six women, but they were later taken away.
The video was widely condemned online, with the Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly, Tikaram Jully, alleging that the former BJP MP also threatened the villagers who protested his actions during the distribution programme.
“Today, former Tonk MP Sukhbir Singh Jaunpauria reached Kareda Buzurg village in Niwai tehsil of Tonk district, where during the blanket distribution, he insulted a Muslim woman — first gave her the blanket and then took it back,” Jully said on X.
“When the villagers protested against this conduct of the MP sahab, he even threatened them. The villagers strongly objected to this discrimination. It is completely condemnable that a public representative who once held the high position of MP should behave in such a manner,” he said.
Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra said the mutual love and tradition of Rajasthan will never accept the”divisive mindset” of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP.
“When the politics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ideology of the RSS are based on hate, polarisation and division, it is not surprising that BJP leaders at the ground level are displaying such vile behaviour,” he said on X.
“A poor person has no caste or community, but the politics of hate always needs an enemy,” Dotasra said. “That is why BJP has repeatedly conspired to spoil the harmony in Rajasthan and divide people among themselves. But the mutual love and tradition of Rajasthan will never accept this divisive mindset.”
Joining the Congress in criticising the ruling party, the Aam Aadmi Party claimed the MP’s actions “exposed the BJP’s hateful thinking again.”
Madhya Pradesh Congress MP Sanjna Jatav denounced Jaunapuria’s religious entry test” before distributing aid. “Is this the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ policy? If blankets are distributed based on religion, then this isn’t service, but outright discrimination. The public is asking: will the government be governed by the Constitution or by identity cards?” her post on X read.
National Chairman of Congress Minority, Imran Pratapgarhi, slammed Prime Minister Modi, saying, “What a wonderful training you’ve given your leaders in ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’!”
Locals band together for the women
After the issue escalated, the village locals stated that the divisive actions of a leader cannot change the “bhaicharya” (brotherhood) in the village. “We want to warn you, Sukhbeer Singh Jaunpuria ji, that in Tonk Sawai Madhopur we live like brothers, like one family. You are trying to create fights to increase your votes. This we will absolutely not tolerate,” a local said in a video statement.
The villager said they have always lived as one community, and that this kind of Hindu-Muslim politics is deeply narrow-minded.
“You are trying to increase your votes by creating conflict,” he said, adding that they “will teach him a lesson” if he repeats such an action.
“Forget fighting for a seat from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur,” the locals firmly said. “Hum Mahatma Gandhi ke desh me aur us desh ko barkaraar rakhna chahte hai (We belong to Mahatma Gandhi’s country, and we wish to uphold and preserve its values).”
